Hysteria
/hɪˈstɪə.ri.ə/noun
A state of intense or uncontrollable emotion, especially fear, panic, or excitement.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek medical theory that linked certain symptoms in women to the uterus, a belief that later medicine abandoned but the name kept alive for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑστέρα (hystéra)
“womb, uterus”
Late Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑστερικός (hysterikós)
“of the womb; suffering from supposed uterine disorders”
Late Latin
Latin
hystericus
“pertaining to the womb or to hysteria”
14th–16th Century
English
hysterie / hysteria
“a disorder thought to arise from the womb; later, a nervous or emotional disturbance”
Modern English
English
hysteria
“intense, uncontrollable emotion or excitement”
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