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mass hysteria

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Acronyms, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
mass hysteria
n.
1. Spontaneous, en masse development of identical physical or emotional symptoms among a group of individuals, as in a classroom of schoolchildren.
2. A socially contagious frenzy of irrational behavior in a group of people as a reaction to an event.

mass hysteria
Etymology: ME, maiour, great; Gk, hystera, womb
an episode of psychogenic illness affecting a large group of individuals at the same time. Examples include the witchcraft trials of the 17th century and the irrational mass reaction to the 1938 radio show based on H.G. Wells' science-fiction novel, War of the Worlds. Also called collective hysteria, epidemic hysteria, major hysteria, mass panic, mass psychogenic illness.

mass hysteria
Psychiatry The 'transmission' of anxiety among a group of individuals


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How brave they all were to attend in the face of the mass hysteria that has gripped the country regarding the swine flu outbreak.
At the moment we are well on the way to mass hysteria and fear of being frightened.
As well as scenes from his stage concerts and the mass hysteria they created, there are pictures of Jackson's growing fame on the world stage, meeting Princess Diana and US President Ronald Reagan.
 
 
 
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