hectic

adjective hec·tic \ ˈhek-tik \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Examples: hectic in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Semantic crisis Intervention

Definition of hectic

1 : characterized by activity, excitement, or confusion

the hectic days before the holidays

2 a medical : of, relating to, or being a fluctuating but persistent fever (as in tuberculosis)

b : having a hectic fever

a hectic patient

3 : red, flushed

hectic color on her cheeks

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hectically

play \ˈhek-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

- hectically busy

See hectic defined for English-language learners

See hectic defined for kids

Examples of hectic in a Sentence

We both had hectic days at work.
She maintains a hectic schedule as a journalist and mother.

Recent Examples of hectic from the Web

To the victors go the spoils Steph Curry’s offseason may be just as hectic as his triumphant playoff run.

— USA TODAY, "Trump attends NATO summit. That doesn't mean he has to like it," 11 July 2018
The version finally getting its premiere at the Barrington Stage Company here is a hot, hectic mess.

— jesse green, New York Times, "Review: ‘The Royal Family of Broadway,’ This Time in Song," 5 July 2018
Happy Fourth of July Please be careful out there, as adrenaline junkies stockpile their fireworks and emergency responders brace for a hectic night.

— morning brief, The Seattle Times, "Your Fourth of July guide | Wednesday Morning Brief, July 4," 4 July 2018
While there isn’t the same in-store shopping frenzy associated with its November equivalent, Prime Day can feel just as (virutally) hectic.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "The Hacks You Need To Know Before Shopping On Amazon Prime Day," 3 July 2018
In its third season, the show’s already hectic pacing stepped up another notch.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "The Expanse is an excellent sci-fi space opera. But it’s fundamentally a detective show.," 1 July 2018
The pick wrapped up a hectic two weeks of travel for Casas after his Patriots were eliminated in regional finals on May 22.

— david furones, Sun-Sentinel.com, "American Heritage 1B, UM signee Triston Casas drafted by Red Sox, his 'dream team'," 5 June 2018
Occasionally, buyers and their agents see the competition up close, especially when properties are being shown to more than one home shopper at the same time in this hectic market.

— paul gores, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Millennials, baby boomers are in the market for the same homes," 25 June 2018
So sometime between retouching and resharpening his tools and finishing his bow and arrows, someone attacked Ötzi, kicking off a hectic last couple of days.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "Ötzi the Iceman spent his last days trying to repair his tools," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hectic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Semantic crisis Intervention

Some people are bothered by changes in a word’s meaning (see: literally), while others have a more relaxed attitude towards semantic drift. For those who feel vexed when a word seems to have suddenly changed its spots, it may be of some comfort to know that words in English do this all the time; crisis is a fine example. Originally, crisis denoted “the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever.” Now it most commonly means “a difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention,” yet few people insist that it should be used exclusively in its older meaning. The normality of semantic change can be seen in another word that first appeared in febrile contexts: hectic, which now is primarily used to mean “very busy,” originally referred to a fever that was fluctuating but recurrent.

Origin and Etymology of hectic

Middle English etyk, from Anglo-French etique, from Late Latin hecticus, from Greek hektikos habitual, consumptive, from echein to have — more at scheme

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year