hystericshys‧ter‧ics /hɪˈsterɪks/ noun [plural] spoken 
She went into hysterics when she heard about her husband.have hysterics British English (=be extremely upset or angry) Mum’d have hysterics if she knew what you’d done.2in hysterics if someone is in hysterics, they are laughing and not able to stop: The audience was in hysterics.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Both seemed helpless, and Mrs Garfitt was working up to hysterics.
- He still felt ill, but the hysterics seemed to have relaxed him a bit.
- He waited for her reaction, anticipating the floor of tears and the hysterics.
- I made up some very strange names which sent them into hysterics.
- Occasionally the whole class dissolves into hysterics for about five minutes and then refuses to tell me what I have said.
- Onyx Muggeridge would certainly, in her language, have had hysterics.
Longman Language Activatorto laugh a lot or for a long time
to be unable to stop yourself from laughing: · Jonathan kept making funny faces at me and I just couldn't stop laughing.· It's so embarrassing when everyone else is being serious and you can't stop laughing.
to laugh so much that you cannot control yourself and could not stop laughing if you wanted to: · They both leant against the wall, laughing helplessly.· She was laughing hysterically at the thought of Mr Taylor stepping out of his caravan with no clothes on.
also have/get a fit of the giggles British informal to be unable to stop yourself laughing, especially in a situation when you should not laugh: · It's very difficult to be angry with somebody when you've got the giggles.· I got a dreadful fit of the giggles - I couldn't help myself!
informal to laugh a lot and very loudly because of what someone says or does: · When I told him what had happened, he laughed his head off.· I can't believe we were so stupid. Our competitors must be laughing their heads off.
to laugh a lot continuously and uncontrollably because someone says or does something extremely funny or stupid: · Everybody who heard this had hysterics.
British to laugh a lot in a very happy and cheerful way, especially because something has happened that you did not expect: · When we heard the news, we just fell about!fall about laughing: · When they saw what their father had done, they both fell about laughing.
informal if you say I nearly or almost died , you mean that something made you laugh so much that you almost couldn't stop laughing: · Did you see the look on his face? I nearly died.nearly/almost die laughing: · He said this very solemnly, and they nearly died laughing.
written a lot of laughter: · Jack put the phone down, and the children collapsed in gales of laughter.· There was a brief stunned silence, and then the entire family went into fits of laughter.
to make someone laugh · Rachel used to make us all laugh by imitating the teacher.· Thanks for your letter. It really made me laugh.
informal to be very funny and to make people laugh a lot: · Mr Bean really cracks me up. He's so funny.
to succeed in making people laugh, especially when they do not really feel like laughing: · None of my carefully-prepared jokes managed to raise a laugh.
also have somebody in fits British to make someone laugh uncontrollably: · Roger had us in hysterics with his account of his disastrous trip to Italy.· The cast included Paul Shane, whose quick wit had the audience in stitches.
if something amuses someone, it makes them laugh or smile because it is fairly funny: · Something in the report had obviously amused him.it amuses somebody to see/think something: · It amuses me to see politicians so eager to please at election time.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She went into hysterics when she heard about her husband.
She went into hysterics when she heard about her husband. British English (=be extremely upset or angry) Mum’d have hysterics if she knew what you’d done.
Mum’d have hysterics if she knew what you’d done.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1when you are unable to control your behaviour or emotions because you are very upset, afraid, excited etc: - The audience was in hysterics.
She went into hysterics when she heard about her husband.have hysterics British English (=be extremely upset or angry) Mum’d have hysterics if she knew what you’d done.2in hysterics if someone is in hysterics, they are laughing and not able to stop: The audience was in hysterics.