frenetic
English
editAlternative forms
edit- phrenetic (dated)
- phrenetick (obsolete)
- phrentic, phrentick (obsolete)
Etymology
editFrom 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 (General Australian): (file) - Rhymes: -ɛtɪk
Adjective
editfrenetic (comparative more frenetic, superlative most frenetic)
- Frenzied and frantic, 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
editRelated terms
editTranslations
edit
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Noun
editfrenetic (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
editMiddle English
editAdjective
editfrenetic
- Alternative form of frenetik
Romanian
editEtymology
editBorrowed from French frénétique.
Adjective
editfrenetic m or n (feminine singular frenetică, masculine plural frenetici, feminine and neuter plural frenetice)
Declension
editsingular | 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 |
- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- Rhymes:English/ɛtɪk
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- en:Medicine
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