1
: emotionally out of control
especially
: feeling or showing fear or anxiety
was frantic while waiting for news
frantic cries for help
a frantic search for the lost child
2
: marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity
making frantic party preparations
3
archaic
: mentally unsound
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
In the Colorado legislature, the white flag comes in the form of the state budget — the introduction of which serves as a signal that the frantic final weeks of the legislative session have begun.
—
The Denver Post, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Szeemann’s two Venice Biennales followed a decade of frantic exhibition-making across the globe, by Szeemann himself and by young professionals proud to call themselves independent curators.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated … A bout of frantic rebranding ensued.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
In these cases, the shots are so open that the defender has to try a frantic, sleight-of-hand technique, one of his many patented flails that are always spirited and sometimes, when a rogue face gets in the way, dangerous.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frantic
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The Denver Post, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Szeemann’s two Venice Biennales followed a decade of frantic exhibition-making across the globe, by Szeemann himself and by young professionals proud to call themselves independent curators.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated … A bout of frantic rebranding ensued.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
In these cases, the shots are so open that the defender has to try a frantic, sleight-of-hand technique, one of his many patented flails that are always spirited and sometimes, when a rogue face gets in the way, dangerous.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
franticly
adverb
-i-klē
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