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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Underneath the celebrity and the tabloid headlines is someone who’s vulnerable, funny and desperately trying to hold her life together.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
The book’s humor is sharp and merciless, akin to that of a standup comedy show, and yet the things described are far from funny.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 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

Absurd and darkly humorous drama, offering an unconventional take on aging, loneliness and human dignity.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
The production design is excellent, the humorous details of Vision’s metaphorical manse and the externalization of computer processes clever.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of humorous

Adjective

In a move that had the audience distraught but should’ve been expected at some point, Guillermo and Witney are sent home Tuesday night.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
There were plenty of disappointed and angry members of Gator Nation on Saturday after Florida's surprising loss to South Carolina in Gainesville, but none may have been more distraught than a young member of Jon Sumrall's own household.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of distraught

Adjective

Drexler’s comedic sensibility was shaped, early on, by the vaudeville acts that performed in movie theatres in between screenings.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Their ascent on YouTube included a 2025 comedic boxing match between Andrijasevic and Al-Emad, titled Hamzah vs Martin and held in Toronto over three rounds.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of comedic

Adjective

Keeping The Faith So all’s well that ends well, and frantic, for Halfway 2 Jesus, Rock’s 13th album and the follow-up to 2022’s angry, politically charged Bad Reputation.

— Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
Newly obtained 911 audio is shedding light on the frantic response when Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive in a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment in August.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hysterical

adjective

Example Sentences

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