hysteria

noun
hys·​te·​ria | \ hi-ˈster-ē-ə How to pronounce hysteria (audio) , -ˈstir- How to pronounce hysteria (audio) \

Definition of hysteria

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.

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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist,’’ Douglas claimed primary credit for hiring Trumbo, securing the writer’s screen credit, and striking the decisive blow against anticommunist hysteria in Hollywood. Harrison Smith, BostonGlobe.com, "Edward Lewis, ‘Spartacus’ producer who helped break the blacklist, dies at 99," 14 Aug. 2019 His cherry-picking egregious examples of anti-Catholic hysteria in England ignores the very real threat of the Counter-Reformation to Protestant states across Europe. James P. Sutton, National Review, "In Defense of the Glorious Revolution," 19 July 2019 By comparison, the hysteria in the global north over international migrants seems a pale sideshow. Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "A storyteller chronicles the mass migrations that define our age," 17 July 2019 Park, who in 2017 became the first rookie since Lopez to win Player of the Year honors, is met by the kind of hysteria in South Korea typically reserved for its pop bands. Karen Crouse, New York Times, "L.P.G.A. Has an Abundance of Stars but Scarcely a Stage," 24 June 2019 The Salem witch trials, explained by politics What exactly caused the mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 and 1693 is still a subject that divides historians and others who study the witch trials. Dylan Scott, Vox, "Trump’s favorite slander against Robert Mueller’s investigation has a very long history.," 26 Jan. 2019 Parent company American Media blames hysteria and partisanship in politics for all the attention paid to a decision not to report the story. Fox News, "Mixed media verdict on Syria bombing," 16 Apr. 2018 Last year’s loss was understandable in hindsight, given Minshew’s play and the hysteria in Pullman with College GameDay being in town, but the early offensive execution issues were inexcusable. oregonlive.com, "Oregon opponent early scouting report: Washington State," 17 July 2019 Soon, hysteria, the upper-class affliction said to originate in the womb, entered these debates. Daniela Blei, The Atlantic, "Women Are Redesigning the Dreaded Speculum," 8 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hysteria.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hysteria

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for hysteria

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

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More Definitions for hysteria

hysteria

noun

English Language Learners Definition of hysteria

: a state in which your emotions (such as fear) are so strong that you behave in an uncontrolled way
: a situation in which many people behave or react in an extreme or uncontrolled way because of fear, anger, etc.

hysteria

noun
hys·​te·​ria | \ hi-ˈster-ē-ə How to pronounce hysteria (audio) \

Kids Definition of hysteria

: a state in which emotions (as fear or joy) are so strong that a person acts in an uncontrolled way

hysteria

noun
hys·​te·​ria | \ his-ˈter-ē-ə How to pronounce hysteria (audio) , -ˈtir- How to pronounce hysteria (audio) \

Medical Definition of hysteria

1a : 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

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