frantic

adjective

fran·tic | \ ˈfran-tik

Definition of frantic

1a archaic : mentally deranged

b : 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

Other Words from frantic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about frantic

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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

That was enough to halt the company’s frantic restructuring effort. — Lillian Rizzo, WSJ, "Who Killed Toys ‘R’ Us? Hint: It Wasn’t Only Amazon," 23 Aug. 2018 That led to a day and a night of frantic activity to arrange what all the companies would say in unison. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Engineer fired over memo sues Google, alleging bias against white men," 8 Jan. 2018 That led to a day and a night of frantic activity to arrange what all the companies would say in unison. — Bloomberg.com, "‘It Can’t Be True.’ Inside the Semiconductor Industry’s Meltdown," 8 Jan. 2018 Other less frantic speculation postulated that it could be used to examine other sats in orbit, either Russia’s or those operated by geopolitical foes. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Space Junk Could Provide a Perfect Hiding Spot for Tiny Spy Satellites," 30 Nov. 2018 Those vibrations drowned out the insect-like clicks of camera shutters and the frantic splashing of predator-evading Banana River fish in a monumental wall of noise. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "A Fireball and a Wall of Sound: What NASA's Epic Solar Probe Launch Felt Like," 14 Aug. 2018 During the 911 call, Cordon sounds frantic and out of breath. — Jenny Vrentas, SI.com, "Everything We Know About the Allegations Against LeSean McCoy," 12 July 2018 Lavrov, speaking on a trip to Belarus, said British officials have engaged in ‘‘frantic and convulsive efforts to find arguments to support their indefensible position’’ instead of producing evidence. — BostonGlobe.com, "Poisoned ex-spy in UK no longer in critical condition, hospital says," 7 Apr. 2018 In Sydney, Australia, in 2010, a family turned frantic when, for two weeks, an anonymous someone sent the mother, her 12-year-old daughter, and the girl's friend pornographic images and threatening messages on Facebook. — Susan Dominus, Redbook, "Underage on Facebook," 4 Jan. 2012

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.