frenetic

adjective

fre·​net·​ic fri-ˈne-tik 

: marked by fast and energetic, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity : frenzied, frantic sense 2

a frenetic attempt to beat a deadline

frenetic bursts of energy

maintaining a frenetic pace

… succumb to exhaustion merely trying to keep up with the president's frenetic schedule.

—The Economist

… the "threatening" success of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," the signature book of the 1950s Beat Generation, and its frenetic search for sensation.

—Dennis Farney

frenetically

fri-ˈne-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Dillon and Deanne laughed and boogied frenetically for a moment, and then began to waltz as the speed was adjusted …

—Peter Cameron

Impulsive, provocative, frenetically energetic, teeming with ideas, articulate, generous and courageous, Dr Kouchner is also blunt, abrasive, impatient, disorganised, opinionated and quick-tempered.

—The Economist

freneticism

fri-ˈne-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

noun

… the freneticism of the urban milieu of the late fifties and early sixties …

—Gregory W. Bredbeck

Nonstop one-liners, cartoon characters, pointless freneticism and a ridiculous denouement do not a mystery novel make.

—Sybil Steinberg

Did you know?

In modern use, frenetic can describe a focused and intense effort to meet a deadline, or dancing among a hyped-up crowd, but the word’s Middle English predecessor, frenetik, had a more specific meaning than “frantic or wild”: it was originally used to describe those exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind. If you trace frenetic back far enough, you’ll find that it comes from Greek phrenîtis, a term referring to an inflammation of the brain. (Phren, the Greek word for “mind” (among other meanings) is a root recognizable in schizophrenic.) As for frenzied and frantic, they’re not only synonyms of frenetic but relatives as well. Frantic comes from frenetik, and frenzied traces back to phrenîtis.

Synonyms

• delirious
• ferocious
• feverish
• fierce
• frantic
• frenzied
• furious
• mad
• rabid
• violent
• wild

Examples of frenetic in a Sentence

The celebration was noisy and frenetic.

the frenetic rush to get every member of the cast in place before the curtain went up

Recent Examples on the Web

Sears does an excellent job with his role, capturing Johnny’s frenetic desperation to remain afloat in the clan’s fetid storm, but this critic, at least, wanted more for this character. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024

Now that Soto has agreed to a historic 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, Alonso emerges as a desirable option for several ball clubs given the frenetic spending spree that is likely to occur prior to the holidays. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

That’s another way parents can make a frenetic season feel a little more calm and bright. —Kara Alaimo, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024

Corporate roles condition us to maintain a frenetic pace and not slow down. —Elissa Kelly, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frenetik, frentik, frantike "temporarily deranged, delirious," borrowed from Anglo-French frenetic, frenetique, borrowed from Latin phrenēticus "suffering from madness," borrowed from Greek phrenētikós, late variant of phrenītikós, from phrenîtis "inflammation of the brain, delirium, insanity" (from phren-, phrḗn "midriff, seat of the passions, mind, wit" —of uncertain origin— + -ītis -itis) + -ikos -ic entry 1

Note: The variants frentik and frantike suggest that frenetic was originally stressed on the first syllable; compare frantic, frenzy. — It has been assumed since antiquity that Greek phrḗn originally referred to a body part, but the nature of that part has never been completely clarified. Of the instances of the word in the Iliad and Odyssey (usually in the plural phrénes) that do not unambiguously refer to mental faculties, the consensus has been since the Homeric scholiasts that the word refers to the midriff and more specifically to the diaphragm. But occurrences in the Iliad such as the following passage (XVI, 503-04) would appear to indicate otherwise: "ho dè làx en stḗthesi baínōn / ek chroòs hélke dóru, protì dè phrénes autôi héponto" ("… and Patroklos stepping heel braced to chest dragged / the spear out of his [the Lycian hero Sarpedon's] body, and the midriff came away with it"—Richmond Lattimore translation). The phrénes that come out with the spear cannot reasonably refer to the entire midsection of Sarpedon's torso, nor does it seem likely that the diaphragm—mostly a thin sheet of tissue between the lungs and abdominal organs—would be pulled out either. (For detailed discussion of Greek usage see S. Ireland and F. L. D. Steel, "Greek φρένες as an anatomical Organ in the Works of Homer," Glotta, 53. Band, Heft 3/4 [1975], pp. 183-95.) Though ablaut variants of phrḗn have a rich derivational history in Greek, the word has no sure Indo-European etymology. A connection with Old Icelandic grunr "suspicion," gruna, grunda "to suspect" (presumed Indo-European *g^whren-?, with no other Germanic congeners) is doubtful at best. The formation of phrḗn is paralleled by several other body part words, as adḗn "gland" (see adeno-), auchḗn "neck, throat," splḗn "spleen" (see spleen).

First Known Use

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

frenetic

adjective

fre·​net·​ic fri-ˈnet-ik 

: frenzied, frantic

frenetically

-ˈnet-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb