frantic

adjective

fran·tic | \ ˈfran-tik

Definition of frantic

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 deranged

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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

Three hours later, according to the mother's interview with investigators, the frantic messages started coming in from her boyfriend. — Indianapolis Star, "'Something is wrong with Stink': Boyfriend charged in abuse death of 1-year-old," 18 June 2019 As night falls, a swarm of motorcycles materializes and surges past the city’s checkpoint, ferrying a frantic, last-minute wave of aspiring travelers who wish to negotiate their way into the overstuffed pickups. — Robert Draper, National Geographic, "Surrounded by chaos, Niger is a nation on the edge," 17 June 2019 But on Friday, after 10 days of frantic legal appeals and media reports here and in Israel, the agency agreed to conditionally release him while legal arguments against his removal are heard. — Washington Post, "Attempted deportation of Palestinian man reveals tangled legal odyssey," 15 June 2019 After a frantic week for their families, Van Cuylenborg’s body was found down an embankment in rural Skagit County, north of Seattle. — Gene Johnson, The Seattle Times, "Man on trial in killings arrested through genetic genealogy," 13 June 2019 There were just two days left before Rebecca’s spring fashion show and the frantic energy of last minute preparations was palpable. — NBC News, "How Rebecca Minkoff went from 'essentially homeless' to leading fashion icon," 13 June 2019 An 8-year-old boy’s frantic 911 call to report that his mother was being strangled led to the arrest of the woman’s husband on a second-degree murder charge Monday night, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. — Karina Elwood, orlandosentinel.com, "Boy, 8, called 911 to report mom being strangled. His stepfather now faces murder charge," 11 June 2019 Their experiences — the grim prognoses from doctors, the frantic internet research, the devastating statistics — might now become relics of medical history. — Damian Garde, Scientific American, "Is $2.1 Million Too Much for a Drug? For Affected Parents, There Is No Debate," 4 June 2019 Morning brought frantic relatives to Pomona Lake needing answers. — Rick Montgomery, kansascity, "Tornado sunk this Kansas cruise boat in 1978, killing 16. Owners hope it floats again.," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frantic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.