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Semantic Crisis Intervention
Some people are bothered by changes in a word’s meaning (see: literally), while others have a more relaxed attitude towards semantic drift. For those who feel vexed when a word seems to have suddenly changed its spots, it may be of some comfort to know that words in English do this all the time; crisis is a fine example. Originally, crisis denoted “the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever.” Now it most commonly means “a difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention,” yet few people insist that it should be used exclusively in its older meaning. The normality of semantic change can be seen in another word that first appeared in febrile contexts: hectic, which now is primarily used to mean “very busy,” originally referred to a fever that was fluctuating but recurrent.
Examples of hectic in a Sentence
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
Ada’s overlapping cycles of initiation and desperation are intensely dramatic, but the movie’s hectic pace leaves each of them merely encapsulated in brief onscreen action or a few lines of dialogue, left undeveloped.
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Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
Teams were eager for a change, finding the travel burdensome and the schedule too hectic to focus on roster preparations, with the league’s awards ceremony, the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the start of free agency unfolding in a few weeks’ time.
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Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
Study The Market Starting a new business is always hectic and puts a lot of pressure on the founder.
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Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hectic
Cite this Entry
“Hectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hectic. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
