variants
also hysteric
1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter
some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
the police officer assured the mother that there was no need to get hysterical, for most missing children are found safe and sound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
upon hearing the announcement that a shark had been sighted, hysterical beachgoers raced out of the water
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hysterical
Bailey, too, had a pretty hysterical reaction.
—
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Later in the day, Reductress editor Freddie Shanel hosted a hysterical examination of gender identity, family and relationships in the humor website's first SXSW comedy show.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
With the games dripping out, one at a time, the entire planet is focused on a single match while it is being played, all the eyes of the world resting on twenty-two elite athletes acting out a sporting telenovela, living making decisions without a script, under conditions of hysterical pressure.
—Jeffrey Pierre, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
The singer then broke down in hysterical laughter, falling onto the table in front of her and shoving her microphone away.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Later in the day, Reductress editor Freddie Shanel hosted a hysterical examination of gender identity, family and relationships in the humor website's first SXSW comedy show.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
With the games dripping out, one at a time, the entire planet is focused on a single match while it is being played, all the eyes of the world resting on twenty-two elite athletes acting out a sporting telenovela, living making decisions without a script, under conditions of hysterical pressure.
—Jeffrey Pierre, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
The singer then broke down in hysterical laughter, falling onto the table in front of her and shoving her microphone away.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hysterical
Adjective
-
Levy arcs his character’s growing exasperation in a way that’s funny, if somewhat limited.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Deborah and Ava get to develop while their process, for the most part, remains the same — and remains funny.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump has been in an increasingly agitated state, lobbing barbs at the alliance for refusing to help clear the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf chokepoint where around 20% of the world’s oil flowed until Iran effectively shuttered it.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Equally agitated are Jedi Padawan Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon) and her Master, Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert).—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The team caught up with Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped away — once by jumping into a cold river — and Johnson lost track on the drone.—
John O'Connor,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The abundance of light that Koestenbaum sheds on the rabbi is humorous, sure, but also humanistic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The humorous contrast between his calm expression and his awkward position is what helped propel the clip across social media.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The vlogger Jordan Cheyenne, for one, wrecked her sharenting career by accidentally posting footage of herself coaching her son, who was distraught over the family’s sick puppy, to make a specific kind of sad face for YouTube.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Jesse O’Hara, said his clients were distraught and heartbroken over the treatment of their baby.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This publicity brought a flood of calls from hundreds of terrified men around the country—many living in states where being gay was a crime that could land you in a psychiatric hospital or jail.—
Donna Lamb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Recently, Kristen chased a terrified family with young children up a nearby stairway.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The special will retell the events of the first two seasons of the live-action One Piece series in that familiar comedic Lego way.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The comedic multi-hyphenate is represented by Authentic, Gersh, and Innovative for stand-up, as well as Del Shaw Moonves.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Another camera captures staff realizing what was going on, frantic to stop the patient and to help.—
Jennifer Mayerle,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The rally caps a frantic 24 hours.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysterical. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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