Standard Lemma guide

frenetic

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /fɹəˈnɛt.ɪk/
  • obsolete: /ˈfɹɛ.nɪt.ɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛtɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AH0 N EH1 T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Frenzied and frantic, harried; having extreme enthusiasm or energy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After a week of working at a frenetic pace, she was ready for Saturday.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Mentally deranged, insane.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Characterised by manifestations of delirium or madness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

One who is frenetic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • frantic with anger and frustration
  • frenetic screams followed the accident
  • a frenzied look in his eye

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frantic, phrenetic, frenzied

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English frenetik (also frentik, frentyk, frantike > modern English frantic), from Old French frenetike, from Latin phreneticus, from Ancient Greek φρενητικός (phrenētikós, “delirious”), from φρενῖτις (phrenîtis, “delirium”), from φρήν (phrḗn, “mind”). Doublet of frantic and phrenitic. Etymologically, initial stress would be expected (compare the syncopic form phrentic); the modern pronunciation with stress on the second syllable is due to the influence of other words ending in -etic such as phonetic and sympathetic.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: буен (buen) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Bulgarian: необуздан (neobuzdan) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Catalan: frenètic — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發狂的 /发狂的 (fākuáng de) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Dutch: frenetiek — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Dutch: bezeten — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Finnish: kiihkeä — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Finnish: raivokas — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Finnish: kuumeinen — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • French: frénétique — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • German: frenetisch — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • German: phrenetisch — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Hungarian: frenetikus — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Italian: frenetico — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Norwegian: frenetisk — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Polish: szalony — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Polish: szaleńczy — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Polish: frenetyczny — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Portuguese: frenético — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Russian: неи́стовый (neístovyj) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Russian: безу́мный (bezúmnyj) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Russian: бе́шеный (béšenyj) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Russian: вне себя́ (vne sebjá) — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Spanish: frenético — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Spanish: movido — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied
  • Turkish: hummalı — fast, frantic, harried, or frenzied