hystericallyadv.
/hᵻˈstɛrᵻkli/, U.S. /həˈstɛrək(ə)li/ 1. Medicine. By, as in, or to hysteria (as a medical or psychogenic disorder). Now somewhat rare.
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1710 T. Fuller Pharmacopœia Extemporanea 305 Whensoever the Spirits being Hysterically confused, do not flow in plentifully.
1795 J. Ferriar Med. Hist. & Refl. II. 37 Men, too, are sometimes hysterically inclined, upon recovering from typhus.
1878 P. Blakiston Clin. Reminisc. iii. 24 The medical man in attendance was past middle age, of sound judgment, and in large country practice, but he had never seen an hysterically inflamed knee.
1903 F. W. Langdon in F. Peterson & W. S. Haines Text-bk. Legal Med. & Toxicol. I. 403 When hysterically anesthetic skin is touched, the sensation passes along normal sensory paths to the sensory stations in the brain.
1988 B. B. Wolman Psychosomatic Disorders xxi. 218 A perpetuation of actual physical or organic illness hysterically after the organic condition has cleared up, which allows the patient to exploit the illness for unconscious gains.
2. In a hysterical manner; with overwhelming, uncontrollable emotion or agitation.
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the mind > emotion > excitement > nervous excitement > unhealthy excitement > [adverb]
hysterically1792
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > convulsive or paralytic disorders > [adverb] > hysteria
hysterically1792
1792 Fanny II. vi. 114 She wept violently and hysterically.
1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales II. 78 I was laughing hysterically all the time.
1860 J. A. Froude Hist. Eng. (ed. 2) V. 234 The Protector himself then addressed them wildly, passionately, hysterically. ‘He would not fall alone,’ he said.
1920 Amer. Woman Aug. 4/3 Hearing this, Jinnie began to sob hysterically and make more desperate efforts to free herself.
1973 J. Mills October Men iii. 48 I came to to find a girl..screaming hysterically and trying to get at my head with the spike of her ski-pole.
2003 A. Perry Christmas Journey (2004) 25 Vespasia wanted to laugh, hysterically, and suppressed the desire with difficulty, holding her napkin to her lips and pretending to sneeze.
3. To a degree that causes hysterical laughter. Chiefly in hysterically funny: extremely funny, hilarious.
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the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > comical > intensely
delicious1642
rich1675
killing1844
hysterically funny1889
hilarious1925
laugh-out-loud1970
1889 Judy 7 Aug. 64/2 The Headless Man is..a string of hysterically funny incidents born of the blunderings of a solicitor.
1912 Leslie's Illustr. Weekly 1 Aug. 102/3 Later it all seemed hysterically absurd.
1982 Daily Texan (Univ. Texas, Austin) 11 Feb. 20/6 This hysterically brilliant sound comedy won the boys [sc. Laurel and Hardy] the only Academy Award the duo ever received.
2011 Oxfordshire Music Scene Dec. 21/1 Although he is often hysterically funny, he doesn't quite have the timing.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.1710- to lay one's hand to the plough
- to lay one's head
- to lay one's heels in one's neck
- to lay one's leg over
- to lay one's legs aliry
- to lay one's life, head, to wed
- to lay one's might
- to lay one's portion with
- to lay one's scene
- to lay one'the finger on
- to lay open
- to lay or set aside
- to lay our heads together
- to lay out
- to lay over
- to lay past
- to lay pipe
- to lay pipes
- to lay posts
- to lay praise, one's blessing, etc upon
- to lay prize, store upon
- to lay put on the shelf, also to set on shelf
- to lay put under the ditch
- to lay siege to, unto, about, against, before
- to lay simply lay down to his work