frantic

American  

[fran-tik] / ˈfræn tɪk /

adjective

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

   Synonyms:

   distraught, disturbed, agitated, overwrought

2. Archaic. insane; mad.

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frantic British  

/ ˈfræntɪk /

adjective

1. distracted with fear, pain, joy, etc

2. marked by or showing frenzy

   frantic efforts

3. archaic insane

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Other Word Forms

• frantically adverb
• franticness noun

Etymology

Origin of frantic

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

Compare meaning

How does frantic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• frenetic vs. frantic

Example Sentences

Nate’s voice is frantic as he pulls his boat alongside Dad’s rapidly disappearing one.

From Literature

So in the frantic hours before officers took her parents away to immigration detention, her mom turned to their pastor and his wife.

From Salon

Twice in the last 50 years, crises in the Mideast, one of them centered in Iran, have turned Americans into frantic hunter-gatherers for another necessity: fuel for their gas tanks.

From Los Angeles Times

But nights can mean frantic calls for the police, or for an ambulance or the hospital.

From Literature

There has been much debate about whether Louis Rees-Zammit was suited to the full-back role and he was prominent in the frantic early exchanges.

From BBC

Related Words

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