hysterical
adjective
hys·ter·i·cal
hi-ˈster-i-kəl 
1
or less commonly hysteric
: of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
hysterical conditions
2
: feeling or showing extreme and unrestrained emotion
hysterical fans
… the paper did not hesitate to appeal to racial passions in hysterical headlines and rabid editorials.—
The New Yorker
The New Yorker3
informal
: very funny
a hysterical movie/joke
Examples of hysterical in a Sentence
some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical
the police officer assured the mother that there was no need to get hysterical, for most missing children are found safe and sound
upon hearing the announcement that a shark had been sighted, hysterical beachgoers raced out of the water
Recent Examples on the Web
We’re meant to see Sarah, who at one point berates her ex-boyfriend and Eddington’s one Black cop, Michael (Micheal Ward), for participating in a system that oppresses him, as hysterical and self-serving.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2025
The infant’s mother was hysterical as medics rushed the victim into an ambulance, neighbors said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
This hysterical homage to Sir Alfred Hitchcock is completely improvised and all based on audience suggestions.
—Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
Dutton’s wife and children crouched down on the floor of the car, but Dutton’s oldest son, 7 years old, was hysterical and kept trying to crawl out of the car.
—Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
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Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2025
The infant’s mother was hysterical as medics rushed the victim into an ambulance, neighbors said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
This hysterical homage to Sir Alfred Hitchcock is completely improvised and all based on audience suggestions.
—Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
Dutton’s wife and children crouched down on the floor of the car, but Dutton’s oldest son, 7 years old, was hysterical and kept trying to crawl out of the car.
—Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Cite this Entry
“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysterical. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hysterical
adjective
hys·ter·i·cal
his-ˈter-i-kəl
1
: of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
2
: feeling or showing unrestrained emotion
hysterical fans
3
informal
: very funny
Medical Definition
hysterical
adjective
hys·ter·i·cal
-ˈter-i-kəl
variants
also hysteric
: of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
during hysterical conditions various functions of the human body are disordered—Morris Fishbein
Morris FishbeinLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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