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
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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
- 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.
"We didn't keep the ball when we had the ball. We kicked it away, they got a few free-kicks, a few throw-ins, corners. It became very chaotic and hectic," added Slot.
From BBC
“It makes an already hectic experience of flying even slower,” said Gomez, adding he sees more wheelchair fraud each time he travels.
It was a little hectic, but we figured it out.
From Los Angeles Times
That makes it harder for Medallion, which often does best in hectic markets; its trading models often reduce trading and build cash when stocks are placid.
Guardiola's move may have been influenced by the knowledge City face two games a week for most of December, a hectic run that includes a trip to Real Madrid in their next Champions League fixture.
From Barron's
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.
