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
As Gritty closed the gap on the fleeing pair, the camera switched to his face — the only sound being frantic footsteps and the clicking of his googly eyes.
—
Ryan Brennan
april 23, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Federal investigators revealed new details about last month's deadly collision between a regional Air Canada jet and a Port Authority maintenance truck at LaGuardia Airport, including a frantic series of apparent miscommunications in the seconds prior to the crash.
—Clara McMichael, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
What followed was a frantic, multi-agency rescue effort to save the eaglet’s life.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
The sleek staging, highlighted by a moving lighting beam that ran the length of the catwalk and three overhead video screens that faced each side of the arena, benefited from frequently frantic lights that added more drama to Welch’s story songs.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frantic
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Ryan Brennan
april 23, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Federal investigators revealed new details about last month's deadly collision between a regional Air Canada jet and a Port Authority maintenance truck at LaGuardia Airport, including a frantic series of apparent miscommunications in the seconds prior to the crash.
—Clara McMichael, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
What followed was a frantic, multi-agency rescue effort to save the eaglet’s life.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
The sleek staging, highlighted by a moving lighting beam that ran the length of the catwalk and three overhead video screens that faced each side of the arena, benefited from frequently frantic lights that added more drama to Welch’s story songs.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frantic
Cite this Entry
“Frantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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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