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View synonyms for

hysteria

[ hi-ster-ee-uh, -steer- ]

noun

  1. an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, weeping, etc.
  2. Psychoanalysis. a psychoneurotic disorder characterized by violent emotional outbreaks, disturbances of sensory and motor functions, and various abnormal effects due to autosuggestion.
  3. Psychiatry. conversion disorder.


hysteria

/ ɪˈɪəɪə /

noun

  1. a mental disorder characterized by emotional outbursts, susceptibility to autosuggestion, and, often, symptoms such as paralysis that mimic the effects of physical disorders See also conversion disorder
  2. any frenzied emotional state, esp of laughter or crying
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hysteria

  1. A complex neurosis in which psychological conflict is turned into physical symptoms, such as amnesia , blindness, and paralysis , that have no underlying physical cause. Early in his career, Sigmund Freud worked on hysteria.
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲh·ٱ۾· noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hysteria1

First recorded in 1795–1805; hyster(ic) + -ia
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hysteria1

C19: from New Latin, from Latin hystericus hysteric
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The spiraling race hysteria had led to serious harassment of both the families of Metcalf and Anthony.

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Some suggest getting fans back into local stadiums and out of bars could curb the hysteria - and help revitalise the Ugandan Premier League.

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“The hysteria is worse than what’s happening on the ground, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an effect,” Monty said.

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Early in “Red Scare,” Clay Risen’s thorough, impassioned but even-handed study of Cold War hysteria in the U.S., the author makes a point of explaining what his subject is — and isn’t.

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But I won't rely here on emotion, outrage or hysteria — just cold, hard facts.

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hysteresis losshysteric