1
: emotionally out of control
2
: marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity
made a frantic search for the lost child
frantic cries for help
3
archaic
: mentally unsound
Synonyms
Examples of frantic in a Sentence
The girl was frantic with fear.
They made a frantic search for the missing child.
They were making frantic preparations for the party.
a frantic attempt to finish on schedule
Recent Examples on the Web
The lead prosecutor in the case, Leo J. Wise, who normally speaks with an unhurried, high-volume cadence, seemed to lower his voice and rush his delivery to read their emotionally raw, frantic conversations.
—
Zach Montague, New York Times, 6 June 2024
Dog’s frantic nighttime attempts to break through the fencing and save Robot leads to his arrest.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2024
The frightful, frantic moments just after Israeli strikes really engulfed a refugee camp in western Rafah on Sunday night.
—Abc News, ABC News, 28 May 2024
But her later messages became frantic in tone, interspersed with photos in and around Los Angeles.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for frantic 
Zach Montague, New York Times, 6 June 2024
Dog’s frantic nighttime attempts to break through the fencing and save Robot leads to his arrest.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2024
The frightful, frantic moments just after Israeli strikes really engulfed a refugee camp in western Rafah on Sunday night.
—Abc News, ABC News, 28 May 2024
But her later messages became frantic in tone, interspersed with photos in and around Los Angeles.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for frantic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frantic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
frantic
adjective
fran·tic
ˈfrant-ik 
1
: wildly excited
frantic cries for help
was frantic with fear
2
: marked by wild and hurried activity
a frantic search for the missing child
franticly
adverb
-i-klē
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