variants
also hysteric
1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter
some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worried
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
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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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Examples of hysterical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since its premiere on Sept. 14, 1985, The Golden Girls has become a cultural phenomenon, showcasing the hysterical escapades of four middle-aged women navigating life’s ups and downs.
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Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
This hysterical mischaracterization of pro-choice policy is among his favorite refrains.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
Louise Bonnet’s grotesque cartoons, smooth-skinned with protruding veins, fit the hysterical realist bill, too.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 26 July 2024
This is sort of like that, except the doctors are legislators in Sacramento and the hysterical women are folks of all genders in Orange County (and everywhere else) who say that California’s addiction treatment and sober living systems are dysfunctional and dangerous.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysterical 
Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
This hysterical mischaracterization of pro-choice policy is among his favorite refrains.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
Louise Bonnet’s grotesque cartoons, smooth-skinned with protruding veins, fit the hysterical realist bill, too.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 26 July 2024
This is sort of like that, except the doctors are legislators in Sacramento and the hysterical women are folks of all genders in Orange County (and everywhere else) who say that California’s addiction treatment and sober living systems are dysfunctional and dangerous.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysterical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hysterical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near hysterical
Cite this Entry
“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysterical. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
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