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
Relevance
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hysterical
In her almost 50 years in the role, Marlena’s trials and tribulations have included falling out of a window, hysterical amnesia, kidnapping, being targeted by serial killers, being replaced by an unhinged lookalike, and, most famously, two demonic possessions.
—
Victoria Edel, People.com, 15 July 2025
Their beef frequently manifested in public, with insults that ranged from cutting to hysterical in the press, sometimes tipping into more violent incidents, including one involving a cricket bat.
—Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025
Fans got a quick and hysterical look at all three back on Christmas Day 2023 when the kids showed up as Sudeikis talked to WNBA legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on ESPN2 during the New York Knicks-Milwaukee Bucks game.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2025
Christina MacSweeney, The Dance and the Fire Catapult, July 29
In Saldaña Paris’s ambitious new novel, three friends return to Cuernavaca, Mexico, a city on fire—wild fires and, soon enough, a kind of hysterical dancing compulsion overcoming the population.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Victoria Edel, People.com, 15 July 2025
Their beef frequently manifested in public, with insults that ranged from cutting to hysterical in the press, sometimes tipping into more violent incidents, including one involving a cricket bat.
—Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025
Fans got a quick and hysterical look at all three back on Christmas Day 2023 when the kids showed up as Sudeikis talked to WNBA legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on ESPN2 during the New York Knicks-Milwaukee Bucks game.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2025
Christina MacSweeney, The Dance and the Fire Catapult, July 29
In Saldaña Paris’s ambitious new novel, three friends return to Cuernavaca, Mexico, a city on fire—wild fires and, soon enough, a kind of hysterical dancing compulsion overcoming the population.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hysterical
Adjective
-
His voice is too funny, too smart and too important to go quietly into the night.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
-
But a funny thing happened on the way to this flexible-rate nirvana.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Many tourism leaders in gateway towns near them are worried tourists will start going elsewhere if the park experience or its environment gets eroded.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 July 2025
-
Many Ukraine watchers are worried that efforts to rollback anti-corruption initiatives will be fodder for Russian propaganda and fracture Ukraine’s unity at a critical time in the war.—
Chris Massaro,
FOXNews.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
More than 25,000 onlookers came to see the whale over the next few days, but when a thunderstorm erupted on July 5, the whale became frightened.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
-
Many people may be intrinsically frightened of robots.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Thomas, Scheffler, DeChambeau, McIlroy and Koepka are seen throughout the movie, participating in Gilmore’s ridiculous training sessions and eventually battling an antagonistic group of golfers from the fictional Maxi professional golf league.—
Stephanie Stremplewski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 July 2025
-
These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
There’s people that are getting into trouble because the powers that be are scared, too.—
Mario Koran,
jsonline.com,
12 July 2025
-
Most notable in the repeat of Man of Steel elements and themes, there’s the Kryptonian message threatening earth, which makes the public scared, so Superman turns himself in to government authorities.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The plot moves along at a clip with time for small character subplots and humorous banter between big action set pieces.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
The show was a touchstone for many in Generation X — a humorous depiction of family life, only the family was middle-class and Black, something that had never been shown on TV before.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
But don’t be like those gullible commentators who are distraught over Gunn’s statement.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 July 2025
-
Louis Thuillier was distraught by his inability to know the plight of his subjects; to view the photographs from the distance of a century can imbue the viewer with a similar melancholy.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
The scene was more amusing than threatening — onlookers whipped out cell phone cameras to document the sight of horses traversing the grounds.—
Jim Newton,
Mercury News,
12 July 2025
-
For two-thirds of the day, as the peloton rolled through Brittany, the majority of soundbites ranged from frivolous to downright amusing.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysterical. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share