frantically

adverb

fran·​ti·​cal·​ly ˈfran-ti-k(ə-)lē 

: in a frantic manner : in a nervously hurried, desperate, or panic-stricken way

searching frantically for the key fob

[Carlton] Fisk stood several feet down the line, frantically urging the ball fair with his hands. It hit the yellow foul pole above the wall, a home run.

—Ron Fimrite

Wine companies, fearing that younger drinkers are slipping out of their grasp, have been frantically trying to create products that will be viewed as edgy, hip and fun.

—Mitch Frank

During the new moon, a hatch of baby sea turtles erupts from the sand, struggling frantically to get to the ocean.

—Bernice Notenboom

Synonyms of frantically

• wildly
• desperately
• wild
• uncontrollably
• frenziedly

Examples of frantically in a Sentence

the veterinarian ran frantically from room to room looking for the escaped hamster

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, Trumpworld searched frantically for scapegoats to deflect blame that the electoral bloodbath was a rebuke of the president and his agenda. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Recordings of the last seconds of the flight reveal the co-pilot told air traffic controllers that the captain was frantically trying to regain control of the plane as ice built up on key pieces of equipment. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

The shadows of derelict city vehicles flickered against the distant back wall as the light operator sped up, frantically searching for partying concertgoers. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

The shallow grave kept the corpse concealed for nearly a week as the victim’s family frantically searched for her nearby. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frantically

• romantically