# frenetic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /fɹəˈnɛt.ɪk/ · frequency rank #42,654

## Definitions
1. Frenzied and frantic, harried; having extreme enthusiasm or energy.
2. Mentally deranged, insane.
3. Characterised by manifestations of delirium or madness.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **frantic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frantic-vs-frenetic)

## Common misspellings (12)
`fernetic`, `ffrenetic`, `freentic`, `freneitc`, `frenetci`, `freneticc`, `frenettic`, `frennetic`, `frenteic`, `frneetic`, `frrenetic`, `rfenetic`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/frenetic