hectic
Americanadjective
adjective
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characterized by extreme activity or excitement
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associated with, peculiar to, or symptomatic of tuberculosis (esp in the phrases hectic fever, hectic flush )
noun
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a hectic fever or flush
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rare a person who is consumptive or who experiences a hectic fever or flush
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
Things that are hectic tend to be happen quickly and all at once — that's why a hectic day makes people nervous. Think about a calm, beautiful island with the sun shining and nothing to do but read a book. That kind of peacefulness is the opposite of hectic. When things get hectic, people sometimes say things are getting crazy or bananas: events are happening too fast for us to keep up, so we tend to get agitated or even angry. Because there's so much work to do, being a student is often a hectic job.
Vocabulary lists containing hectic
Touching Spirit Bear
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Chadwick Boseman (1976–2020) Tribute List
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Forged by Fire
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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.
Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor race around the Midwest trying to expose UFOs in a hectic adventure that lacks intelligent life.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
It was hectic, but the onetime Miss Walterboro had a smile and a dollop of charm for everyone she encountered.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
"It was pretty hectic... it's nasty, but I was able to get in," he told AFP.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
He said the reality involved a lot of checking the Google calendar: "It can get very, very hectic at times, when you've got three or four on the go, it's logistics most of the time."
From BBC • May 5, 2026
But this period of hectic experiment was under threat: a religious storm was whipping up across the continent and music was in its path.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
