frenetic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of frenetic
First recorded in 1350–1400; see origin at frantic
Compare meaning
How does frenetic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The adjective frenetic is another way to say frenzied, frantic, or totally worked up. Kind of how you'd run around the kitchen madly trying to cook a last-minute dinner for 30 of your closest friends. Sometimes tinged with fear and often quite maniacal, frenetic comes from the Latin phreneticus, meaning “delirious.” The Latin word, in turn, came from a similarly spelled Greek word which, when translated literally, means “inflammation of the brain.” So it's no surprise that a frenetic person looks absolutely crazed and super anxious.
Vocabulary lists containing frenetic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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The Marrow Thieves
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Articles on Dangers of Technology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The past few months have seen frenetic buying and selling by individual stock traders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Other bouts of frenetic, rollercoaster volatility occurred during the Asian contagion of 1997, the dot-com crash of 2000-2001, the global financial crisis in 2008 and the pandemic in 2020.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
“GAS STATION” pairs a frenetic synth melody reminiscent of Crystal Castles with lyrics about abandonment.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Indiana Congresswomen Victoria Spartz delivered a frenetic Massie endorsement with a thick Ukrainian accent.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
Captain Moreo came scrambling across the deck, giving orders, and all around them the Storm Dancer burst into frenetic activity as King's Landing slid into view atop its three high hills.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
