frantic

adjective

fran·​tic ˈfran-tik 

1

: emotionally out of control

especially : feeling or showing fear or anxiety

was frantic while waiting for news

frantic cries for help

a frantic search for the lost child

2

: marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity

making frantic party preparations

3

archaic : mentally unsound

franticness

ˈfran-tik-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of frantic

• agitated
• distraught
• 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

Filling them with black smoke, with rubble and shattered glass, with frantic firefighters, with civilians huddled at the police line, necks craned. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

On the recording of the 911 call from that day, the operator’s steady voice is in sharp contrast to Nakira’s frantic crying. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Shot primarily at night, Fallen Angels is all neon cityscapes, midnight noodle cafes, and delirious wide-angle shots, all tied together with a frantic trip-hop soundtrack. — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Ajon Singh, who wrote the screenplay, spent a frantic week retooling it to persuade him to change his mind. — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

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