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frantic

[ fran-tik ]
/ ˈfræn tɪk /
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See synonyms for: frantic / frantically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied.
Archaic. insane; mad.

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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” ( see phrenitis); see frenzy, -tic

OTHER WORDS FROM frantic

fran·ti·cal·ly, adverbfran·tic·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH frantic

fanatic, frantic , frenetic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use frantic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frantic

frantic
/ (ˈfræntɪk) /

adjective
distracted with fear, pain, joy, etc
marked by or showing frenzyfrantic efforts
archaic insane

Derived forms of frantic

frantically or franticly, adverbfranticness, noun

Word Origin for frantic

C14: from Old French frenetique, from Latin phrenēticus mad, frenetic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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