hysterical

CEFRB2

/hɪˈstɛɹɪkəl/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Unable to control strong laughter, fear, or emotion.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Having, or prone to having hysterics.

Examples

  • Ziri told Rima that she was being hysterical.

  • She is a hysterical woman.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Provoking uncontrollable laughter.

  2. Of, or arising from hysteria.

More examples

In context

  • I get hysterical easily.

  • Henrietta gasped for breath; but she swallowed down the hysterical emotion, and signed with her hand for Walter to go on.

  • An event of this nature, a marriage, or a refusal, or a proposal, thrills through a whole household of women, and sets all their hysterical sympathies at work.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When she heard the terrible news, she became completely blank and could not stop crying.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From hysteric + -al, from Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός (husterikós, “suffering in the womb, hysterical”), from ῠ̔στέρᾱ (hŭstérā, “womb”).