frenetic

IPA/frəˈnetɪk/
KK[frənˈɛtɪk]IPA/frəˈnetɪk/

frenetic — adjective

  • freneticpositive
  • more freneticcomparative
  • most freneticsuperlative

1. done or happening with wild, hurried energy, often at a speed that feels slightl

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

done or happening with wild, hurried energy, often at a speed that feels slightly out of control, usually because of pressure or excitement.

Example

The open-plan office had a frenetic pace during the final week before the product launch.

collocation: frenetic pace

Fans rushed through the stadium gates in a frenetic scramble for the best seats.

collocation: frenetic scramble

Common collocations
  • frenetic pace
  • frenetic activity
  • frenetic energy
  • frenetic speed
  • frenetic rush
  • frenetic schedule
Synonyms
  • frantic

    more emotional and panicked — focuses on the feeling of anxiety rather than the speed of activity

  • hectic

    less extreme — describes busy, rushed activity without the sense of disorder

  • frenzied

    more violent or uncontrolled — suggests a loss of all restraint

  • feverish

    suggests intense, almost fever-like excitement or urgency

Antonyms
  • calm

    the opposite of hurried or excited activity

  • leisurely

    done slowly without any pressure

Grammar Patterns

frenetic + noun

be + frenetic

Usage Note

Describes activities, events, environments, or periods of time — not people's emotional states. For a person's panicked or agitated behaviour, use 'frantic' instead.

Common Mistakes

The children were frenetic with excitement before the party.
The children were frantic with excitement before the party.
'frenetic' describes activity or pace, not a person's inner emotional state.

Word family

  • frenetically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe intense activity, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Frenetic' focuses on the wild, uncontrolled speed of an activity or environment — a frenetic trading floor or a frenetic morning. 'Frantic' is more emotional: a person frantically searching for lost keys feels panic, not just pressure. 'Hectic' is the mildest of the group, describing a busy schedule or rushed pace without implying chaos or disorder — a hectic day at the clinic is tiring but not out of control. 'Frenzied' suggests a loss of all restraint or reason — frenzied fans tearing down goalposts after a championship win. 'Feverish' adds a hint of obsessive excitement, as though driven by a kind of mental fever — feverish preparations for an exam. Choose 'frenetic' when the emphasis is on speed and energy that feel almost too fast to manage.

frantic ↗hectic ↗frenzied ↗feverish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • almost frenetic
  • increasingly frenetic
  • positively frenetic

Phrases

  • frenetic pace of life
  • frenetic burst of activity

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From Greek 'phrenētikos' (relating to inflammation of the brain), via Latin 'phreneticus' and Old French 'frenetique'. The original medical meaning — 'delirious, insane' — weakened over centuries to the modern sense of 'wildly energetic or hectic', losing the implication of mental illness.

First known use

1529

1529, in the meaning defined above