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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
Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
This season, given the hectic schedule — Villa marked Newcastle’s 35th match of 2025-26 — Howe has tried to manage Guimaraes a little more carefully.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Meester leads a very busy life — juggling the professional part of her hectic Hollywood career with the personal aspect of being a wife to husband Adam Brody and a mom to their two kids.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 25 Jan. 2026
The High School District 218 board discussed the benefits of hiring an another school resource officer May 15, with board President Carol Kats saying the area becomes very hectic as students walk to school in the mornings.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hectic
Cite this Entry
“Hectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hectic. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
