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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
Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Similarly, Rochelle sometimes took a couple days to respond when life was particularly hectic, like the week both kids had whooping cough and no one got any sleep.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Black Friday candle sales are bountiful during this time of year, which is just one thing to thank the retail gods for during a hectic season.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2025
Billboard could not reach him for an interview due to his hectic tour schedule.
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 29 Oct. 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
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