hysteria

/hɪˈstɪəriə/ (bre, ipa) · /hɪˈsteriə/ (ame, ipa) · /hi-ˈster-ē-ə -ˈstir-/ (ame, mw)

hysteria — noun

1. a state in which a person or crowd is overcome by powerful feelings — such as te

1.名詞B2
釋義

a state in which a person or crowd is overcome by powerful feelings — such as terror, wild excitement, or fury — and can no longer think or act calmly

例句

Rosa watched the crowd's hysteria grow louder outside the stadium.

crowd's hysteria — mass noun modified by a group possessor

The announcement sent waves of hysteria through the packed concert hall.

waves of hysteria — quantifying phrase for spreading emotion

同義詞
  • frenzy

    more about wild, often physical activity than raw emotion

  • panic

    a sudden rush of fear, usually shorter-lived than hysteria

  • delirium

    suggests confusion and disorientation, often from illness or exhaustion

  • mass hysteria

    specifically a group phenomenon rather than an individual state

反義詞
  • calm

    a state of peace and emotional control

  • composure

    the ability to stay calm even under pressure

文法句型

mass hysteria

near hysteria

hysteria + surrounding/over/about

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable. Common in phrases like 'mass hysteria' and 'near hysteria' when describing group reactions. Distinguish from Sense 2, which refers to the obsolete medical diagnosis.

常見錯誤

❌I had hysteria before my exam.
✅I felt extremely anxious before my exam.
💡'hysteria' describes loud, visible, often group-based loss of emotional control; it is not used for private nervousness.

2. an outdated medical term for a condition in which emotional distress produces ph

2.名詞C1
釋義

an outdated medical term for a condition in which emotional distress produces physical symptoms — such as paralysis, blindness, or seizures — with no organic cause

例句

Freud's early patients were often women diagnosed with hysteria in the 1890s.

diagnosed with hysteria — now-obsolete medical usage

The doctor explained that hysteria is no longer used as a medical diagnosis.

同義詞

文法句型

diagnosed with hysteria

a case of hysteria

用法筆記

Now obsolete as a medical diagnosis; used mainly in historical or academic contexts. The modern equivalent is 'conversion disorder' or 'somatic symptom disorder'. Distinguish from Sense 1, which describes everyday uncontrollable emotion.

常見錯誤

❌The patient suffers from hysteria.
✅The patient suffers from conversion disorder.
💡'hysteria' is no longer a recognised medical diagnosis in modern psychiatry.