frantic

adjective fran·tic \ ˈfran-tik \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of frantic

1 a 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

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frantically

play \ˈfran-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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franticness

play \ˈfran-tik-nəs\ noun

See frantic defined for English-language learners

See frantic defined for kids

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 of frantic from the Web

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray described receiving a frantic phone call from her son, 19-year-old Thomas Kanewakeron Gray, about the incident at Colorado State University.

— Washington Post, "Video shows police stop of Native American teens on tour," 6 May 2018
Your heart has to break upon hearing about the frantic phone call that Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray got from 19-year-old son, Thomas, about the incident at Colorado State University.

— rochelle riley, Detroit Free Press, "Riley: Calling cops on people because of race should be a crime," 5 May 2018
With its frantic pacing and frenzy of elements, Steel Vengeance holds together beautifully.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Cedar Point: New Steel Vengeance coaster smooths out a Mean Streak," 4 May 2018
In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray described receiving a frantic phone call from her son, 19-year-old Thomas Kanewakeron Gray, about the incident at Colorado State University.

— mary hudetz, chicagotribune.com, "Mom suspects racism after Native American teens are pulled from college tour," 3 May 2018
But so many things can go wrong with each horse — a nagging injury here, a poor reaction to a track surface there, an inability to handle the frantic atmosphere around a big race.

— childs walker, baltimoresun.com, "Like the sun rising in the East, Todd Pletcher is back with four Kentucky Derby contenders," 2 May 2018
These games attempted to replicate the frantic fun of a real-life table.

— steven t. wright, Ars Technica, "Life in (virtual) pit lane: The war stories of video game car design," 28 Apr. 2018
This video goes behind the scenes at the new Noma in its frantic final days before re-opening.

— howie khan, WSJ, "A Fresh Take on Liquor From Two Noma Alums," 25 Apr. 2018
The frantic waves of a 9-year-old girl and the arrival of police cars and paramedics were the first signs that something terrible had happened on Lynn Drive in Paradis, some residents said Monday.

— littice bacon-blood, NOLA.com, "9-year-old flagged down police after her father shot brother and mom, neighbors say," 23 Apr. 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.