hysterically

[ hi-ster-ik-lee ]

adverb

1. in an unrestrained or uncontrolled way:

   Whatever she’s thinking comes out her mouth, so the whole team was hysterically laughing at her commentary on our game films.

   Keisha slid to the damp pavement in a heap and buried her face in her hands, sobbing hysterically.

2. in a way that is very funny:

   My friend's daughter is hysterically paranoid about autoflush toilets, so we’re always on the lookout for a traditional toilet just in case.

3. stemming from or caused by conversion disorder:

   A group of hysterically blind Cambodian women in California are the largest group of such people known in the world.

Other Word Forms

• sem·i·hys·ter·i·cal·ly adverb
• un·hys·ter·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hysterically¹

hysterical ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Elliotte smiled, Wyatt looked shocked and Bennett — then only 21 months old — simply sobbed hysterically.

From Los Angeles Times

A video that went viral at the time showed a prominent news anchor hysterically gesticulating and accusing Chakraborty of being "a druggie".

From BBC

The shot went in, and she laughed hysterically.

From Los Angeles Times

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when everyone was disoriented and either fearing devastating new attacks or hysterically screaming for vengeance, he kept his head.

From Salon

They hysterically chased rumors that Clinton had brain damage and was hiding serious health issues, demanding that she open her medical records to the public and share the details of every doctor visit.

From Salon

Related Words

• crazily
• desperately
• energetically
• excitedly
• foolishly
• frantically
• furiously
• hastily
• intensely
• passionately
• recklessly
• tumultuously
• violently