HYSTERICAL Synonyms: 226 Similar and Opposite Words

hysterical

adjective

hi-ˈster-i-kəl

variants also hysteric

Definition of hysterical

as in funny

causing or intended to cause laughter some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in agitated

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

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

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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 At the same time, Fjord is nonjudgmental in its depiction of a blossoming romance between two girls, and protesters who come to support the Romanian family are shown as hysterical too, spray-painting warnings about Satan outside the local school. — Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 This comic novel is set in a hysterical vision of the year 2045, in which what was once the United States has been split apart by a civil war between liberals and a MAGA-like rebel group. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 An operator answers a call from a hysterical woman begging for help. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 After years of the WNBA being ignored, the hysterical reaction to an obvious, common-sense position has made it into a laughingstock. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hysterical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hysterical

Adjective

Divorced from the context of a map, Texas' congressional districts might just look like a collection of funny shapes.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of funny

Adjective

Pressed by a reporter on a Zoom call about specific players, Wade grew agitated and defiant.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
When the door finally opened, an agitated young man who resembled Ryan Gosling (Rett Keeter) shined an LED flashlight directly into my eyes, a gesture that would become familiar over the next hour.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of agitated

Adjective

Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of frightened

Adjective

Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes recalled a humorous story about Bailey while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Absurd and darkly humorous drama, offering an unconventional take on aging, loneliness and human dignity.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of humorous

Adjective

The royal experts agreed that Diana would have been shocked and distraught over William and Harry's current estrangement.

— Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
While police continued to investigate John’s motive, distraught parents, teachers and others gathered outside the school Saturday to leave flowers, pray and cry.

— Martha Bellisle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of distraught

Adjective

Synagogues canceled Sabbath prayers, while terrified Jewish citizens were warned to conceal skullcaps and flee home.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Word spread across the city that the Taliban had kill lists of Afghan women activists, and hundreds of terrified women went into hiding.

— Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrified

Adjective

Even the Harlem Globetrotters occasionally shelved their comedic antics for a night and sent out a highly competitive team to take on college basketball’s best.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Robertson traces Perry’s life as a child of divorce to a hopeful comedic actor to star of one of the biggest TV shows of all time.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of comedic

Adjective

There are plenty of other very cool pieces that become street style staples, but don’t inspire the same frantic desire.

— Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Ajon Singh, who wrote the screenplay, spent a frantic week retooling it to persuade him to change his mind.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of frantic

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hysteria

hysterical

hysterics

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“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hysterical. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hysterical

adjective

Example Sentences

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