| 释义 |
hysterical, a. and n.|hɪˈstɛrɪkəl|
[f. as prec. + -al1.]
A. adj.
1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of hysteria; affected with or suffering from hysteria. † hysterical passion: hysteria. hysterical fever: see quot. 1822–34.
1615Crooke Body of Man 326 Hysterical women, that is, such as are in fits of the mother. 1704J. Harris Lex. Techn. s.v. Clavus, Dr. Sydenham calls such a Pain in the top of the Head of Hysterical Persons, Clavus Hystericus. 1803Beddoes Hygëia ix. 184 The epileptic, the hysterical, the hypochondriac. 1818Scott Hrt. Midl. x, The unfortunate young woman..finally fell into a hysterical fit. 1822–34Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) I. 688 It [mild typhus] has sometimes been denominated hysterical fever. 1880Beale Slight Ailm. 72 Hysterical girls are very apt to lose their appetite for a time.
2. transf. and fig. Characterized by convulsive emotion or excitement such as marks hysteria; morbidly emotional or excited. (Said freq. of convulsive fits of laughter or weeping.)
1704F. Fuller Med. Gymn. (1711) 9 Those weaker Hysterical People whose Spirits are of so fine a Make. 1817J. McLeod Voy. Alceste i. (ed. 3) 14 The men [of the Brazils], in their exterior appearance, are a squalid, hysterical, grim-looking tribe. 1865Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xiii. vii. V. 83 This of Pisek was but one of the many unwise hysterical things poor Broglio did. 1897F. N. Maude Volunt. v. Compuls. Serv. 125 A misdirected outbreak of hysterical humanitarianism.
B. n.
†1. = hysteric B. 1. Obs.
1649Culpepper Lond. Disp., Key Galen ii. viii. (1653) 310 Such Medicines as provoke the Terms, or stop them when they flow immoderately, are properly Hystericals. 1671Salmon Syn. Med. iii. xv. 359 Hystericals are such things as are appropriated to the Womb, and these are most of them Cephalicks.
2. pl. = hysteric B. 3. rare.
1834Blackw. Mag. XXXVI. 472/1 Since Father O'Shauchnessy cured aunt Katey's old pig of the hystericals. 1857Kingsley Two Y. Ago xxiv, Most astonished..to see a lassie that never gave him a kind word in her life..greet and greet at his going, till she vanished away into hystericals.
3. = hysteric a. and n. B. 2.
1892A. W. Pinero Magistrate iii. i. 136 (The sound of a shriek from Agatha and Charlotte.) Lugg... Don't notice them. They're hystericals. They're mild now to what they have been. 1922M. Sadleir Excursions in Victorian Bibliogr. 2 This is a book about first editions, and will be read only by the initiate. If we be hystericals, we have at least our weakness in common. 1950E. Hemingway Across River xxxix. 229 ‘I've stopped [crying],’ she said. ‘I'm not an hysterical.’
Add:[2.] b. In weakened use: extremely funny, hilarious. colloq.
1969M. Pei Words in Sheep's Clothing (1970) v. 36 To describe something as really funny, a woman will use ‘hysterical’. 1980G. B. Trudeau Tad Overweight 2 ‘I'm afraid that's no joke, Miss.’ ‘It's not? But I was told it was hysterical.’ 1987Observer 29 Mar. 23/2 Based on the premise that all nuns are amusing but nuns who tap-dance are hysterical, this was..the worst musical comedy I have ever seen. 1990Premiere July 41/1 The flamboyant characters and almost romantic premise suggest screwball comedy, but..the movie is low-key rather than hysterical. |