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 first trailer for the upcoming Beatles 64 documentary chronicling the band’s arrival on U.S. shores six decades ago captures the hysteria that greeted John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all those years ago.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
The big picture: Salem got its witchy reputation thanks to the very real 1692 hysteria in which Puritan townspeople turned against one another and executed 20 of their neighbors.
—Mike Deehan, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Its opening paragraph: For years, many of us have noted and analyzed the phenomenon of Bush hatred — and all the unreason, hysteria, and meanness packed into it.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
This yearslong wave of mass hysteria came to be known as the satanic panic.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria 
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Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
The big picture: Salem got its witchy reputation thanks to the very real 1692 hysteria in which Puritan townspeople turned against one another and executed 20 of their neighbors.
—Mike Deehan, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Its opening paragraph: For years, many of us have noted and analyzed the phenomenon of Bush hatred — and all the unreason, hysteria, and meanness packed into it.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
This yearslong wave of mass hysteria came to be known as the satanic panic.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria
Articles Related to hysteria
Dictionary Entries Near hysteria
Cite this Entry
“Hysteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria. Accessed 28 Nov. 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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