as in frenzy
a state of wildly excited activity or emotion
the hysteria of the mother when she realized that she had lost her four-year-old son in the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hysteria
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Duncan said that, given today’s political climate and the operations being carried out in cities such as Minneapolis, more due diligence needs to be done when situations like this arise to avoid rumor and hysteria.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Every paradigm-shifting invention is met with a hysterical reaction.
—Charlie Dektar, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hysteria
Noun
There were no witnesses, no evidence left behind, just racial hysteria and unfounded claims that it was committed by a Black man.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Duncan said that, given today’s political climate and the operations being carried out in cities such as Minneapolis, more due diligence needs to be done when situations like this arise to avoid rumor and hysteria.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Though, from a distance, our hysterical laughter could be interpreted as such.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Every paradigm-shifting invention is met with a hysterical reaction.
—Charlie Dektar, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hysteria
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hysteria
Noun
-
The crypto industry, for example, entered 2022 brimming with hope, as the pandemic helped spark a surge in trading from people stuck at home, leading to a frenzy that boosted all kinds of speculative investments, from cryptocurrencies to digital tokens called NFTs.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
-
All Democrats need to understand that the extreme left has a vested interest in keeping them in a frenzy.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
From the other side of the window the guard is giving me funny kine looks.—
Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But history, which has a funny way of repeating itself, suggests otherwise.—
Stephen Mihm,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Harris, in particular, looks agitated, and just before walking through the curtains to take her place on stage, lets out a heavy sigh.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
They easily could have been mistaken for agitated sports fans, and their actions were small and diffuse enough that they could be quickly dispersed.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And so if this gets replicated, if there’s a spreading of feelings of fear, the most vulnerable people will be frightened to turn out.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Both release a strong spray, or musk, when frightened.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Michael Chesna and bystander Vera Adams in a July 2018 rampage.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Most notably was school resource deputy Scot Peterson, who waited outside as Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student, went on a killing rampage in the freshman building.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Such are the concerns of 13-year-old Chris (Izaac Wang) in this humorous yet heartfelt coming-of-age story based loosely on writer-director Sean Wang's own growing up.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The event attracted a few dozen humorous counterprotesters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Harrowing footage circulating online shows his distraught father desperately searching among piles of bodies covered with black body bags, crying out for his missing son.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Instead, Indiana won its first-ever national championship, and UM went home distraught.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Innocent men remain terrified of false allegations, while victims still face one terrible choice after another.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Barry’s little sister, who answered the call, was terrified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hysteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysteria. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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