hysterical
/hɪˈsterɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /hɪˈsterɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /hi-ˈster-i-kəl/ (ame, mw)
hysterical — adjective
- hystericalpositive
- more hystericalcomparative
- most hystericalsuperlative
1. so upset, afraid, or excited that you stop being able to control what you do or
so upset, afraid, or excited that you stop being able to control what you do or say — for example, crying or shouting without meaning to, or laughing in a way that seems strange to others.
The children became hysterical when they heard the loud crash from the kitchen.
became hysterical at a sudden event
Mei-Lin was almost hysterical with worry after her three-year-old son disappeared at the crowded market.
hysterical with worry / fear / grief
When the building started shaking, some residents grew hysterical and began screaming for help.
Olumide's mother became hysterical after the news and called him six times in a row.
A passenger at the gate grew hysterical about the delay and began shouting.
- frantic
frantic suggests hurried, panicked activity more than emotional outburst — you can be frantic while still controlling your words.
- frenzied
frenzied is more violent and wild, often used of crowds or groups; it is louder and more aggressive than hysterical.
- overwrought
overwrought means nervous and tense from stress; the person may seem very emotional but has not actually lost control.
- beside oneself
beside oneself with grief/anger is very similar to hysterical but slightly less intense and more literary.
文法句型
hysterical + with [emotion]
hysterical + at/about [event]
become/get/grow hysterical
用法筆記
Likely predicative when followed by with/at/about (e.g. hysterical with grief). Attributive use (e.g. hysterical laughter, hysterical crying) describes the behaviour rather than the person.
常見錯誤
2. so funny that you laugh very hard, often loudly and for a long time, to the poin
so funny that you laugh very hard, often loudly and for a long time, to the point where you cannot easily stop.
The comedy show was absolutely hysterical — Diego could not stop laughing for days.
collocation: absolutely hysterical
Elena thought the video of the kitten falling asleep in a bowl was hysterical.
Thandi told a story about burning her first cake that we all found hysterical.
The scene where the groom falls into the swimming pool is absolutely hysterical.
Wei's impression of the principal was so hysterical that the whole class burst out laughing.
- hilarious
hilarious is slightly stronger and more common in writing; hysterical feels more spontaneous and spoken.
- side-splitting
side-splitting is very informal and vivid, suggesting physical pain from laughing, like side-splitting laughter.
- riotous
riotous suggests noisy, disorderly laughter from a group, like a riotous comedy show.
文法句型
hysterical + noun [joke/story/film]
so hysterical + that-clause
absolutely hysterical
用法筆記
Informal — avoid in academic or formal writing. In formal contexts, use hilarious or very funny instead. This sense developed from the idea of laughing uncontrollably (like the emotional sense) but is now the more common meaning in everyday conversation.