frenetic
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- phrenetic (dated)
- phrenetick (obsolete)
- phrentic, phrentick (obsolete)
Etymology edit
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.
Pronunciation edit
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /fɹəˈnɛt.ɪk/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈfɹɛ.nɪt.ɪk/[1]
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛtɪk
Adjective edit
frenetic (comparative more frenetic, superlative most frenetic)
- Fast, harried; having extreme enthusiasm or energy.
- After a week of working at a frenetic pace, she was ready for Saturday.
- (obsolete) Mentally deranged, insane.
- (obsolete, medicine) Characterised by manifestations of delirium or madness.
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
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Noun edit
frenetic (plural frenetics)
- One who is frenetic.
References edit
- ^ Thomas Sheridan (1789) “Phrenetick”, in A Complete Dictionary of the English Language, Both with regard to Sound and Meaning […] [1], Second edition, London: Charles Dilly.
Further reading edit
- “frenetic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “frenetic”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams edit
Middle English edit
Adjective edit
frenetic
- Alternative form of frenetik
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French frénétique.
Adjective edit
frenetic m or n (feminine singular frenetică, masculine plural frenetici, feminine and neuter plural frenetice)
Declension edit
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | frenetic | frenetică | frenetici | frenetice | ||
definite | freneticul | frenetica | freneticii | freneticele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | frenetic | frenetice | frenetici | frenetice | ||
definite | freneticului | freneticei | freneticilor | freneticelor |