Definition
Loud, uncontrolled emotional outbursts or fits of extreme laughter or crying.
Etymology
From Latin 'hysteria' and Greek 'hystera' (uterus). Historically, doctors falsely believed extreme emotions originated in women's reproductive organs, creating the pseudoscientific diagnosis of 'hysteria'—a harmful legacy of medical sexism.
Kelly Says
The word 'hysterics' is built on one of medicine's greatest blunders—doctors once thought a wandering uterus caused women's emotional problems. The word itself is a fossil of bad science that refuses to die from our vocabulary.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
歇斯 (shees)
sheh-es
ARالعربية
هستيريا (his-tari-yah)
his-ta-ree-yah
BNবাংলা
অনিয়ন্ত্রণ (oniyantra)
on-ee-an-tr-on
CACatalà
histèries
his-teh-ree-es
CSČeština
hysterie
his-teh-ree
DADansk
hysteri
his-teh-ree
DEDeutsch
Hysterie
hi-steh-ree
ELΕλληνικά
υστερία (ystería)
his-teh-ree-ah
ESEspañol
histeria
e-steh-ree-ah
FAفارسی
هیستری (histeri)
his-teh-ree
FISuomi
hysteri
his-teh-ree
FRFrançais
hystériques
i-steh-ree-k
GUGU
હિસ્ટરિકલ (hishterikal)
hees-teh-ri-kal
HAHA
hiss-tari
his-ta-ree
HEעברית
היסטריה (histriyah)
his-tree-yah
HIहिन्दी
उत्साह (utsah)
ut-sah
HUMagyar
histeri
his-teh-ree
IDBahasa Indonesia
histeris
his-te-ris
ITItaliano
isteria
e-steh-ree-ah
JA日本語
歇斯狂 (she-su-kyō)
sheh-suh-kyo
KKKK
гистерия (giste-riya)
gis-teh-ree-yah
KMKM
ប្រព្រឹត្ត (brop-pritt)
broh-p-ritt
KO한국어
歇斯치기 (hyeseu-chi-gi)
hye-seu-chi-gi
MRMR
हिस्टरिकल (histrikal)
his-teh-ri-kal
MSBahasa Melayu
histerikal
his-teh-ri-kal
MYမြန်မာ
歇斯狂 (she-su-kyaw)
sheh-su-kya
NLNederlands
hysterie
his-te-ree
NONorsk
hysteri
his-teh-ree
PAPA
ਹਿਸਟੈਰਿਕਲ (his-ta-rik-al)
his-ta-rik-al
PLPolski
histerie
his-teh-ree-eh
PTPortuguês
histerias
e-steh-ree-ahs
RORomână
histerie
his-teh-ree
RUРусский
гистерия (giste-riya)
gis-teh-ree-yah
SVSvenska
hysteri
his-teh-ree
SWKiswahili
histiri
his-teh-ree
TAதமிழ்
அ歇க்சு (a-she-k-su)
a-sheh-k-su
TEతెలుగు
హైస్టరికల్ (haistarikallu)
ha-is-te-ri-kal-lu
THไทย
歇斯 (khēe-sē)
kheh-seh
TLTL
histerikal
his-teh-ri-kal
TRTürkçe
histeri
his-teh-ree
UKУкраїнська
гістерія (giste-riya)
gis-teh-ree-yah
URاردو
ہسٹریا (his-tari-yah)
his-ta-ree-yah
VITiếng Việt
histerics
his-teh-ri-ks
ZH中文
歇斯狂 (xiē sī kuáng)
shee-sih-kwang
ZUZU
i-hysterics
ee-his-teh-ri-ks
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Derived from Greek hystera (uterus), historically used to pathologize women's emotions as inherently unstable and tied to reproductive biology. 18th-19th century medicine systematically diagnosed women with 'hysteria' to dismiss their concerns as irrational.
Inclusive Usage
Avoid entirely in clinical or behavioral contexts. Use precise language: 'emotional response,' 'anxiety,' 'distress,' or specific observable behavior.
Inclusive Alternatives
["emotional distress","anxiety response","panic","overwhelm"]
Empowerment Note
Women clinicians and researchers in the 20th century dismantled hysteria as a diagnosis and reframed these presentations as legitimate psychological conditions deserving proper care, not dismissal.