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
The opera begins with a kinetic, frantic prelude in the form of a paso doble, the quick march often heard at bullfights.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
For high school students in rural parts of the United States, the frantic pace of the college application process can look a bit different.
—Sheneka Williams, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Artificial attention may wean us off the frantic hamster wheel of social media approval.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
Put another way, the failure of any candidate to distinguish themselves has set up what should be a frantic 2026 in California politics.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frantic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
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
franticly
adverb
-i-klē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share