Did you know?
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
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2025
This hectic oddness undergirds the conspiracy theories and wild extrapolations that course through the film and provides the rickety intellectual architecture for Dr. J.’s mercenary speculations.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
It’s been a hectic, successful year for Grapevine, even after the loss of some of the area’s top talent, including Dasan Hill, the 2024 Star-Telegram Player of the Year and a member of the Twins organization.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2025
With 188,000 full-time residents, Akron offers a good mix of urban amenities like hospitals, recreation centers, restaurants, museums, and parks without being hectic.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 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 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
Share