mass hysteria: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “mass hysteria” mean?
A phenomenon where a large group of people experiences an overwhelming, often irrational, outburst of emotion or anxiety, which spreads rapidly through suggestion and imitation.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A phenomenon where a large group of people experiences an overwhelming, often irrational, outburst of emotion or anxiety, which spreads rapidly through suggestion and imitation.
A collective state of heightened emotion, fear, or excitement that spreads contagiously through a population, often fuelled by rumours, misinformation, or a shared psychological trigger, leading to irrational public behaviour.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling of related terms follows regional conventions (e.g., British 'collective hysteria' vs. American 'collective hysteria' – no difference).
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. Often used in historical, sociological, or psychological analysis, as well as in media commentary on public panic.
Frequency
Equally used in formal and academic contexts in both regions. Slightly more frequent in American media discourse on social phenomena.
Grammar
How to Use “mass hysteria” in a Sentence
[verb] + mass hysteria (e.g., trigger, cause, prevent)mass hysteria + [verb] (e.g., spreads, grips, erupted)[preposition] + mass hysteria (e.g., amid, into, of)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mass hysteria” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The crowd began to hystericise en masse. (Very rare, non-standard)
American English
- The media can hystericize a population. (Very rare, non-standard)
adverb
British English
- The protestors reacted mass-hysterically to the rumours. (Extremely rare)
American English
- The crowd behaved mass-hysterically. (Extremely rare)
adjective
British English
- The report described the mass-hysterical reaction to the crisis.
American English
- We witnessed a mass-hysterical response on social media.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could describe irrational market behaviour, e.g., 'The sell-off was driven more by mass hysteria than by fundamentals.'
Academic
Common in psychology, sociology, and history papers analysing crowd behaviour and social epidemics.
Everyday
Used to describe over-the-top public reactions, e.g., 'The queue for the new phone was a case of mass hysteria.'
Technical
A clinical and sociological term for specific episodes like the 'War of the Worlds' radio panic or dancing plagues.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mass hysteria”
- Using it for any widespread excitement (e.g., a popular festival). It requires an element of irrationality and loss of control. *'The fans showed mass hysteria when the team won' is incorrect; 'exuberant celebration' is better.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a sociological and psychological term, not a formal medical diagnosis in manuals like the DSM-5. It describes a social phenomenon, not an individual disorder.
Almost never. It inherently describes an irrational, uncontrolled, and often negative emotional outburst by a group. Positive group excitement is typically termed 'euphoria' or 'collective joy'.
'Mass hysteria' is a broader term that can encompass various intense emotions (fear, excitement, symptoms) spreading contagiously. 'Panic' is more specific to sudden, overwhelming fear, often leading to frantic escape behaviour. A panic can be an instance of mass hysteria.
Yes, contemporary examples often involve social media, such as the rapid spread of baseless conspiracy theories, viral moral panics, or collective psychogenic illness (e.g., mystery symptoms spreading in a school).
A phenomenon where a large group of people experiences an overwhelming, often irrational, outburst of emotion or anxiety, which spreads rapidly through suggestion and imitation.
Mass hysteria is usually formal, academic, journalistic in register.
Mass hysteria: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmæs hɪˈster.i.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmæs hɪˈster.i.ə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to whip up a frenzy”
- “panic in the streets”
- “contagious fear”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MASSive crowd at a HISterical (hysteria) concert, all screaming irrationally for the same band – that's MASS HYSTERIA.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE (it spreads, infects, has outbreaks).
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario BEST illustrates 'mass hysteria'?