Word
frantic
Phoneticsfran·tic, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɹæntɪk/
UK/fɹˈɑːntɪk/
Definitions
01panicked or worried
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. feeling or showing a lot of fear and worry because you are in a hurry or a difficult situation.
adj. characterised by wild or distraught feelings of fear, anxiety, or other emotion.
“The parents were frantic with worry when their child didn't come home on time.”
“The rescue team made a frantic search for survivors as the sun began to set over the wreckage.”
Synonyms
02hurried and disorganized
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. done in a very fast and excited way because you have a lot to do in a short time.
adj. conducted in a hurried, excited, and disorganized manner.
“We made a frantic effort to finish the report before the deadline.”
“The office was a scene of frantic activity as the staff prepared for the unexpected arrival of the auditors.”
03mentally unstable
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
adj. an old-fashioned way to describe someone who is mentally ill or acting crazy.
adj. mentally deranged or insane. This sense is restricted to historical contexts or period literature.
“In the old story, the character was described as frantic and lost his mind.”
“The nineteenth-century medical journal described the patient as frantic, a term then used to denote acute mania.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“In Italy Juventus suffered a 3-2 defeat after a frantic finish at Sassuolo on Sunday.” “London City set up a frantic finish after Van de Donk’s clever backheel from Kadidiatou Diani’s low cross crept in at the near post 14 minutes from time.” Etymology
From Middle English frantike, frentik, variant of frenetik, from Old French frenetique, from Late Latin phreneticus, alteration of phreniticus, from φρενιτικός (phrenitikós, “mad, suffering from inflammation of the brain”), from φρενῖτις (phrenîtis, “inflammation of the brain”), from φρήν (phrḗn, “the brain”). Doublet of frenetic and phrenitic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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