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
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
The incident happened Sunday when Deputy Anthony Gonzalez, 25, responded to a frantic domestic violence call at a home near Tampa, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
When paired with treats and verbal praise for good behavior, these tools can help your dog out of the frantic barking loop.
—Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Farrell plays John, the ambitious and chatty servant who is seduced by the mistress of the house (Jessica Chastain), as a nervous bundle of energy who becomes more agonized and frantic over the course of the film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
McGuane’s style grew less frantic, more habitually elegiac.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frantic
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Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
When paired with treats and verbal praise for good behavior, these tools can help your dog out of the frantic barking loop.
—Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Farrell plays John, the ambitious and chatty servant who is seduced by the mistress of the house (Jessica Chastain), as a nervous bundle of energy who becomes more agonized and frantic over the course of the film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
McGuane’s style grew less frantic, more habitually elegiac.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 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 9 Nov. 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
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