From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhystericalhys‧ter‧i‧cal /hɪˈsterɪkəl/ ●○○ adjective 1 MIEXCITEDunable to control your behaviour or emotions because you are very upset, afraid, excited etc Janet became hysterical and began screaming. Everyone in the studio burst into hysterical laughter.2 informalFUNNY extremely funny SYN hilarious It was absolutely hysterical! I’ve never laughed so much. —hysterically /-kli/ adverb
Examples from the Corpus
hysterical• Spanking Lanie caused her to scream and seem almost hysterical.• The people were a little hysterical.• For over an hour three different nurses told her that she was hysterical.• Gran told her that mum had to go into hospital because she was hysterical!!• It feels like an all-news network should: instant, informed, urgent without being hysterical.• The crowd went hysterical as Juventus scored in the last minute of the game.• Hysterical fans tried to stop Damon's car at the airport.• Mr Morgan and his organ releasing them into hysterical laughter had anaesthetized the horror of the past.• They look like jittery, hysterical little birds crowded together on a power line.• It's a hysterical movie.• Hysterical parents were calling the school for details of the accident.• He got a hysterical phone call from his mother in the middle of the night.• I knew I would be hysterical when I heard your voice.hysterical laughter• The big problem for anybody watching the opening ceremony must have been suppressing whoops of hysterical laughter.• They made a sound like hysterical laughter as they played their games.• Mr Morgan and his organ releasing them into hysterical laughter had anaesthetized the horror of the past.• A bubble of hysterical laughter rose to her lips.• The sound of hysterical laughter swept through the new arrivals as they looked at each other. 