different between hysterical vs distraught

English

Etymology

From hysteric +? -al, from Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ????????? (husterikós, “suffering in the womb, hysterical”), from ??????? (hustér?, “womb”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /h??st???k?l/

Adjective

hysterical (comparative more hysterical, superlative most hysterical)

1. Of, or arising from hysteria.
   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 16:

     An event of this nature, a marriage, or a refusal, or a proposal, thrills through a whole household of women, and sets all their hysterical sympathies at work.

2. Having, or prone to having hysterics.
3. Provoking uncontrollable laughter.

Usage notes

• Like many terms that start with a non-silent h but have emphasis on their second syllable, some people precede hysterical with an, others with a.

Related terms

• hysteric
• hysterics
• hysteria

Translations

Further reading

• hysterical in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• hysterical at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

From Middle English distraught, merger of distract (“distracted”) and straught (“stretched, distraught”), past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”). Compare also bestraught, extraught, forstraught, etc. More at distract, stretch.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?s?t???t/
• Rhymes: -??t

Adjective

distraught (comparative more distraught, superlative most distraught)

1. Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; distressed.

   His distraught widow cried for days, feeling very alone.
2. mad; insane.

Synonyms

• distressed
• pained

Derived terms

• distraughtly
• distraughtness

Translations