frenzied
Americanadjective
-
wildly excited or enthusiastic.
frenzied applause.
-
violently agitated; frantic; wild.
a frenzied mob.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- frenziedly adverb
- unfrenzied adjective
Etymology
Origin of frenzied
Explanation
The adjective frenzied describes something wild, excited, or rushed. You may have a frenzied morning when you've overslept and need to get lunches made, the dog walked, and the kids off to school within the next fifteen minutes. Run! Frenzied is from the word frenzy, which itself is from the Latin word phreneticus, meaning "delirious." Words related to frenzied include frantic and frenetic, but frenzied isn't necessarily bad. If you're a rock star, you may enjoy a frenzied crowd at your concerts, and you feed off the energy and adoration you get from them. If it's your first time on stage, however, that same frenzied crowd may send you into a panic.
Vocabulary lists containing frenzied
A Wrinkle in Time
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Coraline
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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.
Soundly beating earnings expectations isn’t placating investors skeptical of the durability of the frenzied AI data center buildout, which is driving these outsize earnings reports.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
The act of striving for more, like some frenzied truffle hound, is usually an attempt to override fear.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
At times, the company’s frenzied acting becomes theatrically alienating.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
We saw some of the tightest security in recent years and witnessed the frenzied panic after one Oscar award became two when those vying for best short action film was announced as a historic tie.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Faint and far above came Wolf’s frenzied yowls: Where are you?
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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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.