hysteria

noun

hys·​te·​ria hi-ˈster-ē-ə  -ˈstir- 

1

: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychogenic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral (see visceral sense 4) functions

2

: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess

political hysteria

The plague had caused mass hysteria in the village.

Synonyms

• agitation
• deliriousness
• delirium
• distraction
• fever
• feverishness
• flap
• frenzy
• furor
• furore
• fury
• rage
• rampage
• uproar

Examples of hysteria in a Sentence

A few of the children began to scream, and soon they were all caught up in the hysteria.

Wartime hysteria led to many unfair accusations of treachery.

The spreading of the disease caused mass hysteria in the village.

Recent Examples on the Web

This yearslong wave of mass hysteria came to be known as the satanic panic. —Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

Prior to its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Bong Joon-ho predicted audiences wouldn’t understand explicit cultural elements in Parasite, a black comedy leaning heavily into class hysteria. —Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 28 Oct. 2024

Keep your eyes peeled for human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together and mass hysteria on 9th East. —Erin Alberty, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024

Although reports of Beyoncé stumping for Harris have been wrong before — a false alarm during the Democratic convention led to hysteria and then disappointment — news of her appearance this week is better-sourced and from several reputable publications. —Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from English hysteric, adjective, from Latin hystericus, from Greek hysterikos, from hystera womb; from the Greek notion that hysteria was peculiar to women and caused by disturbances of the uterus

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hysteria

noun

hys·​te·​ria his-ˈter-ē-ə  -ˈtir- 

1

: a nervous disorder marked by excitability of the emotions

2

: unmanageable fear or outburst of emotion

Medical Definition

hysteria

noun

hys·​te·​ria his-ˈter-ē-ə  -ˈtir- 

1

a

: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions without an organic basis

b

: a similar condition in domestic animals

2

: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess