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 unsound
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
Keeping them leashed up with a comfortable harness may prevent a sudden chase after wildlife, which could in turn lead to a fall, a frantic search, or a wild animal attack.
—
Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 1 July 2025
Back in ‘96 in Vegas, after shots were fired, Knight — bleeding from his scalp — made a frantic U-turn and headed west at a high speed toward Las Vegas Boulevard.
—Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025
In a frantic race against time, struggling actress Anne must juggle chaos—and a high-maintenance dog named Macy, as a series of mishaps threaten her chance at a career-changing audition.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 June 2025
These efforts were far more frantic than standard lobbying on Capitol Hill.
—Amy Schoenfeld Walker, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for frantic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 1 July 2025
Back in ‘96 in Vegas, after shots were fired, Knight — bleeding from his scalp — made a frantic U-turn and headed west at a high speed toward Las Vegas Boulevard.
—Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025
In a frantic race against time, struggling actress Anne must juggle chaos—and a high-maintenance dog named Macy, as a series of mishaps threaten her chance at a career-changing audition.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 June 2025
These efforts were far more frantic than standard lobbying on Capitol Hill.
—Amy Schoenfeld Walker, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
frantic
adjective
fran·tic
ˈfrant-ik 
1
: wildly excited
frantic cries for help
was frantic with fear
2
: marked by wild and hurried activity
a frantic search for the missing child
franticly
adverb
-i-klē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share