frantic

adjective

fran·​tic ˈfran-tik 

1

: emotionally out of control

especially : feeling or showing fear or anxiety

was frantic while waiting for news

frantic cries for help

a frantic search for the lost child

2

: marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity

making frantic party preparations

3

archaic : mentally unsound

franticness

ˈfran-tik-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of frantic

• agitated
• distraught
• worried
• frightened

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 reader is spun into this frantic poem without a chance to escape, just like the speaker. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

On the recording of the 911 call from that day, the operator’s steady voice is in sharp contrast to Nakira’s frantic crying. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Shot primarily at night, Fallen Angels is all neon cityscapes, midnight noodle cafes, and delirious wide-angle shots, all tied together with a frantic trip-hop soundtrack. — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

And once it’s spoken, Molière’s language (via Irwin, who uses Doug Skinner’s translation) does have a bird’s frantic, quick-beat tremolo. — New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frenetik, frentik, frantike "temporarily deranged, delirious" — more at frenetic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for frantic

• antic
• atlantic
• gigantic
• pedantic
• romantic
• semantic
• vedantic
• transatlantic
• unromantic

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

frantically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

franticly

-i-klē

adverb