frantic

adjective

fran·​tic ˈfran-tik 

1

: emotionally out of control

2

: marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity

made a frantic search for the lost child

frantic cries for help

3

archaic : mentally unsound

franticness

ˈfran-tik-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• agitated
• delirious
• distracted
• distrait
• distraught
• frenzied
• hysterical
• hysteric

Examples of frantic in a Sentence

The girl was frantic with fear.

They made a frantic search for the missing child.

They were making frantic preparations for the party.

a frantic attempt to finish on schedule

Recent Examples on the Web

McConnell remembers strangers stopping in the road to pray for the boy before he was rushed to Children’s Hospital New Orleans after a police officer assured the frantic mother that her son was still alive. —Wendy Grossman Kantor, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

The quick minute-and-a-half clip introduces us to a frantic Mullen, who's testing different codes on a safe to try and break into it. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

Hysterical audio from 911 calls captured the frantic seconds following the freak accident in the small town. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 14 Jan. 2025

This complicates scammers' efforts to steal your personal info from a malware-laden link, so cybercriminals are trying frantic texts about shipping issues and unpaid road tolls in hopes of getting a response. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frenetik, frentik, frantike "temporarily deranged, delirious" — more at frenetic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

frantic

adjective

fran·​tic ˈfrant-ik 

1

: wildly excited

frantic cries for help

was frantic with fear

2

: marked by wild and hurried activity

a frantic search for the missing child

frantically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

franticly

-i-klē

adverb