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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.
Examples of hectic in a Sentence
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Today’s deal closure brings to an end the longest, most protracted, and hectic example of M&A activity in recent Hollywood memory.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
And the actors work very, very hard to keep a hectic masquerade in motion.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Given the hectic 24-race calendar that sees drivers and teams operating at their limit, F1's governing body, the FIA, has set a two-week summer shutdown period for all teams where they are not permitted to develop their car, design car parts, use the wind tunnel, or conduct meetings.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hectic
Cite this Entry
“Hectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hectic. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
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