hysterical

Everyday

1. So upset, frightened or excited that you cannot control your feelings, for example screaming or crying wildly. tree →
2. (informal) Extremely funny: «the film was hysterical». tree →
3. Laughing so much you cannot stop: hysterical laughter. tree →

In the lessons

In stories «hysterical» shows a character who has lost control — panicking, sobbing or shrieking — or, in a funny scene, people helpless with laughter. In everyday speech children often use it to mean «really funny». In safety lessons: in an emergency, try to stay calm and not get hysterical. Phrases: become hysterical, hysterical laughter, absolutely hysterical, in hysterics.

Examples

• The joke was so hysterical that I fell off my chair. tree →
• She became hysterical when she saw the spider. tree →
• We were in hysterics watching the cat chase its tail. tree →
• Stay calm in a fire drill; getting hysterical makes things worse. tree →
• The crowd went hysterical when the band came on stage. tree →
• The toddler was hysterical because he lost his teddy. tree →
• Dad told a hysterical story about his first day at work. tree →

Note

Two opposite feelings: very upset OR very funny — the sentence tells you which. «Hysterical» about a person who is upset can sound dismissive or unkind, so be careful using it about someone. The old idea that women are «hysterical» by nature is a myth and the word's history is unfair to women. Noun: «in hysterics» (laughing or crying uncontrollably).