hectic
Americanadjective
adjective
-
characterized by extreme activity or excitement
-
associated with, peculiar to, or symptomatic of tuberculosis (esp in the phrases hectic fever, hectic flush )
noun
-
a hectic fever or flush
-
rare a person who is consumptive or who experiences a hectic fever or flush
Other Word Forms
- hectically adverb
- hecticly adverb
- hecticness noun
- nonhectic adjective
- nonhectically adverb
- unhectic adjective
- unhectically adverb
Etymology
Origin of hectic
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin hecticus, from Greek hektikós “habitual, consumptive,” adjective derivative of héxis “possession, state, habit,” equivalent to hech- (base of échein “to have, hold, keep”) + -sis -sis; replacing Middle English etyk, from Middle French
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.
Tax preparation is a seasonal business — and a hectic pressure cooker.
From MarketWatch
What you don’t mention in your letter is your monthly or annual expenses, nor your lifestyle, which may be less hectic given your arthritis symptoms.
From MarketWatch
As is often the case in Disney movies, things push on to a climactic series of action scenes that are more hectic than exciting.
"It has just been fairly hectic, just watching the slurry tanks fill up," he said.
From BBC
This year, though, the itineraries are more hectic and varied than ever.
From BBC
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.
