frenetic

• phrenetic (dated)
• phrenetick (obsolete)
• phrentic, phrentick (obsolete)

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.

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /fɹəˈnɛt.ɪk/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈfɹɛ.nɪt.ɪk/^[1]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛtɪk

frenetic (comparative more frenetic, superlative most frenetic)

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

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

2. (obsolete) Mentally deranged, insane.
3. (obsolete, medicine) Characterised by manifestations of delirium or madness.

• frantic, frenzied

• frantic
• frenzy
• schizophrenia

frenetic (plural frenetics)

1. One who is frenetic.

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “frenetic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “frenetic”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• infecter, reinfect

frenetic

1. alternative form of frenetik

Borrowed from French frénétique.

frenetic m or n (feminine singular frenetică, masculine plural frenetici, feminine and neuter plural frenetice)

1. frenetic