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
Through increasingly frantic sequences—videos of hydraulic presses smashing Technicolor plastic toys, audio files of shuffling paper and falling shelves—Ben led Alicia to a storage room, home to a cabinet full of scrapbooks.
—
Camille Butera, WIRED, 1 Apr. 2024
The extras were being radioed into place and Watanabe and Elgort were each taking a moment to themselves on the sidelines, preparing for their frantic meeting on camera.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
But seconds later, a frantic officer radioed that the bridge had collapsed.
—NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Trading in Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind the Truth Social app, was so frantic that it was briefly halted at one point.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 26 Mar. 2024
Previous reporting:Da Tara Johnson's family seeks justice after recent Beech Grove grad fatally shot
Police found Johnson in her apartment suffering gunshot wounds to her arm and torso after receiving frantic calls for help in the area.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024
Within seconds, the teenager's frantic screams alerted her mother, who bolted from their apartment in Queens to take on the imposing man.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
However, beneath the tranquil surface lies a different reality—hidden from view, the duck’s feet are engaged in a frantic flurry of activity, paddling furiously to stay afloat.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The frantic phone calls jolted Earl Schneider awake.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Camille Butera, WIRED, 1 Apr. 2024
The extras were being radioed into place and Watanabe and Elgort were each taking a moment to themselves on the sidelines, preparing for their frantic meeting on camera.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
But seconds later, a frantic officer radioed that the bridge had collapsed.
—NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Trading in Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind the Truth Social app, was so frantic that it was briefly halted at one point.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 26 Mar. 2024
Previous reporting:Da Tara Johnson's family seeks justice after recent Beech Grove grad fatally shot
Police found Johnson in her apartment suffering gunshot wounds to her arm and torso after receiving frantic calls for help in the area.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024
Within seconds, the teenager's frantic screams alerted her mother, who bolted from their apartment in Queens to take on the imposing man.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
However, beneath the tranquil surface lies a different reality—hidden from view, the duck’s feet are engaged in a frantic flurry of activity, paddling furiously to stay afloat.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The frantic phone calls jolted Earl Schneider awake.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
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.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on frantic
Nglish: Translation of frantic for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of frantic for Arabic Speakers
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