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
Synonyms
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
Ofir recounted that Yossi had been frantic with the thought that Nira and the girls had been killed or taken hostage.
—
Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024
An exchange in the war’s second month freed more than 100 hostages, but Israeli families were frantic for those remaining.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024
Look for small, raindrop-like ripples on the surface of the water, or even frantic silvery splashes.
—Kubie Brown, Outdoor Life, 3 Oct. 2024
Many of the 2020 scene leaders have fled elsewhere, putting zoomer twists on genres like frantic jungle and gently unfurling shoegaze.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frantic 
Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024
An exchange in the war’s second month freed more than 100 hostages, but Israeli families were frantic for those remaining.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024
Look for small, raindrop-like ripples on the surface of the water, or even frantic silvery splashes.
—Kubie Brown, Outdoor Life, 3 Oct. 2024
Many of the 2020 scene leaders have fled elsewhere, putting zoomer twists on genres like frantic jungle and gently unfurling shoegaze.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frantic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frantic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.
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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