variants
also hysteric
1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter
some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worried
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
the police officer assured the mother that there was no need to get hysterical, for most missing children are found safe and sound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
upon hearing the announcement that a shark had been sighted, hysterical beachgoers raced out of the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hysterical
First responders later described him as distraught, emotional, hysterical and in shock.
—
Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
Hitting hot button issues with fresh insight and hysterical precision, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele revealed themselves to be two of the best comedy writers in the business, leading to a Peabody Award, two Emmy Awards, and millions of fans.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Amina always looked forward to these reunions; she was allowed to be a tourist with her friends, speaking too-loud English, getting a little hysterical.
—Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Lourd said she’s stoked for TV audiences to see just how hysterical Bomer is on Mid-Century Modern.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
Hitting hot button issues with fresh insight and hysterical precision, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele revealed themselves to be two of the best comedy writers in the business, leading to a Peabody Award, two Emmy Awards, and millions of fans.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Amina always looked forward to these reunions; she was allowed to be a tourist with her friends, speaking too-loud English, getting a little hysterical.
—Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Lourd said she’s stoked for TV audiences to see just how hysterical Bomer is on Mid-Century Modern.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hysterical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hysterical
Adjective
-
His being handsome, funny and not known for comedy was a real asset.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
And makes a funny joke about giving Glenn Close an Oscar.—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Others are worried about the fate of the Smithsonian more broadly.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
An overwhelming 92 percent are worried about a potential recession in 2025.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That takes some fortitude, when world trade is on the verge of collapse, consumers are frightened and businesses can’t plan anything.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Hearts Melt At Moment 'Shut Down' Foster Dog Decides To Trust New Family By Rachael O'Connor Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 Animal lovers' hearts have soared at the moment a frightened foster dog chose to trust the family in her new home.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous.—
John Russell,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Even in witnessing how ridiculous — and dangerous — the rivalry is, Cherry ultimately isn’t brave enough to make a change.—
Maggie Fremont,
EW.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Three minors heard gunfire and believed they had been fired at, and were scared of being shot, wrote Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Walls.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Apr. 2025
-
For those who have been scared to shift away from grays and creams, these shades offer an ideal compromise.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The off-beat ads and humorous posters have only stoked fan conversation about what, exactly, this project is and what on earth is going on with the asterisk in the title.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Early implementations have experienced technical glitches, such as those occasionally seen in MLB's 3D broadcasts, which sometimes led to humorous but unintended visual effects.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The film takes place in the pediatric unit of hospital and follows a distraught mother, her son and the nurse who look after them.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2025
-
His family was too distraught to speak with a reporter.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Six books offer readers armchair travel, amusing characters, and a dash of history.—
Yvonne Zipp,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Thankfully, in the case of Mark, the reality proved to be something much more amusing.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysterical. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share