hysterical
So overcome with emotion that you cannot control yourself.
hysterical in a sentence
- When the spider dropped onto her desk, Amy became hysterical, shrieking and flapping her arms.
- Dad became hysterical with laughter at the joke, gasping and quite unable to stop himself.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to hysterical?
- Asteady
- Bfrantic
- Cquiet
- Dcalm
Show the answer
B: frantic. The other three mean the opposite of hysterical.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to hysterical?
- Awild
- Bcalm
- Cpanicky
- Dfrantic
Show the answer
B: calm. The other three mean nearly the same as hysterical.
Words that mean something similar
frantic, wild, panicky
Words that mean the opposite
calm, steady, quiet
More words about emotions & feelings
- idolise: To love and admire someone so much you think they are perfect.
- impatient: Not wanting to wait for something.
- indifferent: Not caring or interested either way.
- indignant: Angry because something seems unfair.
- infuriate: To make someone lose their temper completely.
- inspire: To fill someone with the wish or the courage to do something.
- irate: Very angry, and showing it by shouting or complaining.
- irk: To annoy someone slightly.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test