frenetic

Also fre·neti·cal,

[fruh-net-ik]

adjective

1. frantic; frenzied.

frenetic

/ frɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. distracted or frantic; frenzied

Other Word Forms

• frenetically adverb
• nonfrenetic adjective
• nonfrenetically adverb
• freneticness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of frenetic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; frantic

Word History and Origins

Origin of frenetic¹

C14: via Old French frenetique from Latin phrenēticus , from Greek phrenētikos , from phrenitis insanity, from phrēn mind

Example Sentences

“History” is a major player in this breathless narrative, as in “gales of history,” “maelstrom of history,” “winds of history,” “tide of history” and the “frenetic pace of history”—all within a few dozen pages.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Details of the prints reveal Goya’s hand—alternately frenetic, delicate and weighty—with fresh intimacy.

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In a high-pressure, frenetic society, Barcelo explains that moving the body acts as a release valve for trapped emotion.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Through their frenetic search for scores, Scotland were only liberating New Zealand instead of locking them up and throwing away the key, as clinical teams would do.

Read more on BBC

A major scuffle between several players lit the fuse on a frenetic opening to proceedings, with England's Young and Australia's Tino Fa'asuamaleaui sin-binned for their involvement with barely three minutes on the clock.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• frantic 
• frenzied 
• furious 
• obsessive