WordNet-Online
Free dictionary and thesaurus of English. Definitions, synonyms, antonyms and more...
Hint: double-click any word to get it searched!

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.wordnet-online.com

Definitions from WordNet

Definitions from the Web

Epidemic Hysteria

Definition:

Epidemic Hysteria refers to a phenomenon where a large group of people simultaneously experience severe emotional distress or irrational behavior, often triggered by rumors, fears, or collective anxiety. This condition spreads rapidly within a community or society, causing a contagious outbreak of panic or extreme emotional reactions.

Example Sentences:

• The town was in a state of epidemic hysteria when rumors of a ghost sighting went viral.
• During the pandemic, people's fears about the virus escalated into an epidemic hysteria leading to panic buying and hoarding.
• The widespread panic and anxiety following the devastating earthquake resulted in epidemic hysteria among the affected population.

Related Products:

Explore some insightful books about the concept of epidemic hysteria and the psychological effects of collective behavior:

• Epidemics and Mass Hysteria: Contagious Stress in Modern Societies
• Collective Behavior in Epidemics: Contagion, Social Roles and Hierarchy
• Hysteria and Collective Anxiety: Mass Madness in History