frantic

[fran-tik]

adjective

1. desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied.

   Synonyms: distraught, disturbed, agitated, overwrought

2. Archaic.,  insane; mad.

frantic

/ ˈfræntɪk /

adjective

1. distracted with fear, pain, joy, etc

2. marked by or showing frenzy

   frantic efforts

3. archaic,  insane

Other Word Forms

• frantically adverb
• franticness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of frantic¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English frantik, frenetik, phrentique (the spelling with a appears in the 14th century but is unexplained), from Old French frenetique ( French frénétique ), from Latin phrenēticus, phrenīticus “mad, delirious,” from Greek phrenētikós, phrenītikós “suffering from inflammation of the brain or delerium” ( phrenitis ( def. ) ); frenzy, -tic

Word History and Origins

Origin of frantic¹

C14: from Old French frenetique , from Latin phrenēticus mad, _frenetic

Example Sentences

I felt frantic; a profound sense of powerlessness and loss of balance in the total darkness came over me.

From Salon

When she was about 5, she disappeared for hours to a dark henhouse to see how chickens laid eggs, so absorbed that she was oblivious to her family’s frantic search for her.

From Los Angeles Times

"First aid was given by a frantic woman who was eating there," Mr Pass said.

From BBC

After a frantic two-minute opening passage of play in which possession switched sides several times, Canada imposed themselves on the chaos and never really gave up control.

From BBC

The incident came at the end of a frantic match as Liverpool scored twice inside the opening six minutes through Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, before the Spanish side fought back.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitated 
• angry 
• delirious 
• distraught 
• frenetic 
• frenzied 
• furious 
• hectic 
• mad 
• overwrought 
• weird