What does "hysteria" mean?

Rebecca

"Hysteria" has been used in the past as a medical term meaning excessive emotional behavior, but it has been replaced by the more informal definition meaning exaggerated behavior or actions as a result of fear, anger, or sadness. Today, it has a meaning similar to "panic." To give an example, you can use "hysteria" (and panic also) to refer to the sudden toilet paper buying in America at the beginning of the pandemic. Ex: The customer became hysterical after finding out the store was sold out of toilet paper. Ex: The pandemic has caused an irrational toilet-paper buying hysteria.