hysteria
noun
hys·te·ria
hi-ˈster-ē-ə 
-ˈstir-
-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
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
The strike spurred local hysteria with fears of Communists and Northern activists organizing, working women and men taking to the streets, and Black and white laborers joining up, Robert Whalen said.
—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2024
After the hysteria of home-opening weekend, one that culminated with Sunday’s dramatic win against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers’ performance Monday night felt much more like a routine, weekday work shift.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria 
Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2024
After the hysteria of home-opening weekend, one that culminated with Sunday’s dramatic win against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers’ performance Monday night felt much more like a routine, weekday work shift.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hysteria.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hysteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hysteria
noun
hys·te·ria
his-ˈter-ē-ə
-ˈtir-
-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-
-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
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