hysterical
/hɪˈsterɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /hɪˈsterɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /hi-ˈster-i-kəl/ (ame, mw)
hysterical — 形容詞
- hystericalpositive
- more hystericalcomparative
- most hystericalsuperlative
1. so upset, afraid, or excited that you stop being able to control what you do or
歇斯底里
因極度恐懼或憤怒而情緒失控
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.
孩子們聽到廚房傳來巨大碰撞聲時，變得歇斯底里。
became hysterical at a sudden event
Mei-Lin was almost hysterical with worry after her three-year-old son disappeared at the crowded market.
Mei-Lin 的三歲兒子在擁擠的市場走失後，她擔心到幾乎歇斯底里。
hysterical with worry / fear / grief
When the building started shaking, some residents grew hysterical and began screaming for help.
建築物開始搖晃時，有些住戶變得歇斯底里，開始尖叫求救。
Olumide's mother became hysterical after the news and called him six times in a row.
Olumide 的母親聽到消息後變得歇斯底里，連續打給他六次。
A passenger at the gate grew hysterical about the delay and began shouting.
一名在登機門的旅客因班機延誤而變得歇斯底里，開始大叫。
- 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
爆笑；超好笑
極度滑稽而令人大笑不止
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.
那場喜劇秀爆笑到不行——Diego 連續好幾天笑個不停。
collocation: absolutely hysterical
Elena thought the video of the kitten falling asleep in a bowl was hysterical.
Elena 覺得那支小貓在碗裡睡著的影片超好笑。
Thandi told a story about burning her first cake that we all found hysterical.
Thandi 講了一個她第一次烤蛋糕就燒焦的故事，我們都覺得爆好笑。
The scene where the groom falls into the swimming pool is absolutely hysterical.
新郎掉進游泳池的那一幕真的超好笑。
Wei's impression of the principal was so hysterical that the whole class burst out laughing.
Wei 模仿校長的樣子實在太好笑，全班都笑了出來。
- 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.