frantic

adjective

fran·​tic ˈfran-tik 

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

franticness

ˈfran-tik-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• agitated
• distraught
• hysteric
• worried
• frightened

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

Hospital workers described a frantic race-against-time as workers rallied and sacrificed to help victims. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025

The tears, just the frantic panic, all of that. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Its drivers were barely trained and pressured to work at a frantic pace. —Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025

Fears about dog attacks surged after the 2023 fatal mauling of a four-year-old boy in Hyderabad, an attack captured on CCTV that horrified the nation and sent shockwaves through media and political circles, sparking a frantic search for solutions. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frenetik, frentik, frantike "temporarily deranged, delirious" — more at frenetic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for frantic

• antic
• atlantic
• gigantic
• pedantic
• romantic
• semantic
• vedantic
• transatlantic
• unromantic

Kids 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

frantically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

franticly

-i-klē

adverb