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

For five days Oswadeliz Núñez Ramírez has been frantically searching for her son across hospitals in La Guaira and Caracas. — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026

The Melodies of the Danube itinerary connects Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, and the Wachau Valley coherently rather than frantically. — Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026

The one who is frantically looking for a reason why. — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

Mount Baldy made headlines in 2013 when a 6-year-old boy was suddenly swallowed by the dune, prompting rescues to frantically dig him out. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frantically

• romantically