frenetic

adjective

fre·​net·​ic fri-ˈne-tik 

: marked by fast and energetic, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity : frenzied, frantic sense 2

a frenetic attempt to beat a deadline

frenetic bursts of energy

maintaining a frenetic pace

… succumb to exhaustion merely trying to keep up with the president's frenetic schedule.

—The Economist

… the "threatening" success of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," the signature book of the 1950s Beat Generation, and its frenetic search for sensation.

—Dennis Farney

frenetically

fri-ˈne-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Dillon and Deanne laughed and boogied frenetically for a moment, and then began to waltz as the speed was adjusted …

—Peter Cameron

Impulsive, provocative, frenetically energetic, teeming with ideas, articulate, generous and courageous, Dr Kouchner is also blunt, abrasive, impatient, disorganised, opinionated and quick-tempered.

—The Economist

freneticism

fri-ˈne-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

noun

… the freneticism of the urban milieu of the late fifties and early sixties …

—Gregory W. Bredbeck

Nonstop one-liners, cartoon characters, pointless freneticism and a ridiculous denouement do not a mystery novel make.

—Sybil Steinberg

Did you know?

In modern use, frenetic can describe a focused and intense effort to meet a deadline, or dancing among a hyped-up crowd, but the word’s Middle English predecessor, frenetik, had a more specific meaning than “frantic or wild”: it was originally used to describe those exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind. If you trace frenetic back far enough, you’ll find that it comes from Greek phrenîtis, a term referring to an inflammation of the brain. (Phren, the Greek word for “mind” (among other meanings) is a root recognizable in schizophrenic.) As for frenzied and frantic, they’re not only synonyms of frenetic but relatives as well. Frantic comes from frenetik, and frenzied traces back to phrenîtis.

Synonyms

• delirious
• ferocious
• feverish
• fierce
• frantic
• frenzied
• furious
• mad
• rabid
• violent
• wild

Examples of frenetic in a Sentence

The celebration was noisy and frenetic.

the frenetic rush to get every member of the cast in place before the curtain went up

Recent Examples on the Web

Ma’s meeting with Xi also coincides with a frenetic week of diplomatic activity in Washington where President Joe Biden will host the first-ever leaders’ summit between the US, Japan and the Philippines. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

By the middle of the 19th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. —Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

Over 10 songs, the slimmer Only God harnesses the frenetic energy the group is known for into a lush sonic storyline of the city and of the intergenerational questions and, at times, resentment plaguing its residents. —Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024

In one particularly frenetic sequence, a moment of reckoning for Rudy, Mancuso and DP Shane Hurlbut stage a stunning single take, full of costume and set changes that bring to life our protagonist’s’ attempt to have it all. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024

The first quarter was played at a frenetic pace, but that also produced plenty of misses. —Rudy Chinchilla, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Taiwan built a convenience store model that captured the frenetic energy of the booming economy and became essential to nearly every aspect of life. —Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

The latest cuts, the result of a frenetic work force expansion during the pandemic and the sector’s aggressive move into building A.I., substantially differ in approach from the mass reductions in 2023. —Mike Isaac, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

And eventually, as the frenetic energy in the room reached its crescendo, Beyoncé herself appeared in a glimmering silver blazer with matching thigh-high boots from Gaurav Gupta’s recent spring 2024 couture collection. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frenetik, frentik, frantike "temporarily deranged, delirious," borrowed from Anglo-French frenetic, frenetique, borrowed from Latin phrenēticus "suffering from madness," borrowed from Greek phrenētikós, late variant of phrenītikós, from phrenîtis "inflammation of the brain, delirium, insanity" (from phren-, phrḗn "midriff, seat of the passions, mind, wit" —of uncertain origin— + -ītis -itis) + -ikos -ic entry 1

Note: The variants frentik and frantike suggest that frenetic was originally stressed on the first syllable; compare frantic, frenzy. — It has been assumed since antiquity that Greek phrḗn originally referred to a body part, but the nature of that part has never been completely clarified. Of the instances of the word in the Iliad and Odyssey (usually in the plural phrénes) that do not unambiguously refer to mental faculties, the consensus has been since the Homeric scholiasts that the word refers to the midriff and more specifically to the diaphragm. But occurrences in the Iliad such as the following passage (XVI, 503-04) would appear to indicate otherwise: "ho dè làx en stḗthesi baínōn / ek chroòs hélke dóru, protì dè phrénes autôi héponto" ("… and Patroklos stepping heel braced to chest dragged / the spear out of his [the Lycian hero Sarpedon's] body, and the midriff came away with it"—Richmond Lattimore translation). The phrénes that come out with the spear cannot reasonably refer to the entire midsection of Sarpedon's torso, nor does it seem likely that the diaphragm—mostly a thin sheet of tissue between the lungs and abdominal organs—would be pulled out either. (For detailed discussion of Greek usage see S. Ireland and F. L. D. Steel, "Greek φρένες as an anatomical Organ in the Works of Homer," Glotta, 53. Band, Heft 3/4 [1975], pp. 183-95.) Though ablaut variants of phrḗn have a rich derivational history in Greek, the word has no sure Indo-European etymology. A connection with Old Icelandic grunr "suspicion," gruna, grunda "to suspect" (presumed Indo-European *g^whren-?, with no other Germanic congeners) is doubtful at best. The formation of phrḗn is paralleled by several other body part words, as adḗn "gland" (see adeno-), auchḗn "neck, throat," splḗn "spleen" (see spleen).

First Known Use

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

frenetic

adjective

fre·​net·​ic fri-ˈnet-ik 

: frenzied, frantic

frenetically

-ˈnet-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb