frantically

adverb

fran·​ti·​cal·​ly ˈfran-ti-k(ə-)lē 

: in a frantic manner : in a nervously hurried, desperate, or panic-stricken way

searching frantically for the key fob

[Carlton] Fisk stood several feet down the line, frantically urging the ball fair with his hands. It hit the yellow foul pole above the wall, a home run.

—Ron Fimrite

Wine companies, fearing that younger drinkers are slipping out of their grasp, have been frantically trying to create products that will be viewed as edgy, hip and fun.

—Mitch Frank

During the new moon, a hatch of baby sea turtles erupts from the sand, struggling frantically to get to the ocean.

—Bernice Notenboom

Synonyms of frantically

• wildly
• desperately
• wild
• uncontrollably
• frenziedly

Examples of frantically in a Sentence

the veterinarian ran frantically from room to room looking for the escaped hamster

Recent Examples on the Web

Most recently, airlines were directed to reduce their operations by 10% at 40 airports for two days to reduce air traffic, leaving many passengers frantically searching for alternatives to their travel plans or anxiously awaiting cancellation notifications. —Essence, 10 Nov. 2025

Loomer had entered a seemingly meditative state, tapping away frantically. —Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

The phone logs show Goudreau frantically trying to get Denman and Berry out safely. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

When Marissa runs through her house, frantically searching for Milo, the scene doubles as a tour of the Irvines’ palatial lakefront home as captured by directors Minkie Spiro and Kate Dennis. —Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frantically

• romantically
• semantically