hectic
hec·tic/ˈhɛktɪk/adjective
hectic is spelled H-E-C-T-I-C: 6 letters and 2 syllables (hec·tic). It appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 18,811th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, hectic means “Very busy with activity and confusion” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in hectic?
| Letters | 6: H-E-C-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: hec·tic |
| In writing | 2.1 times per million words; the 18,811th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hectic?
Hectic appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 18,811th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hectic?
- /ˈhɛktɪk/
Hectic has 2 syllables, split hec·tic in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hectic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of hectic
- more hectic comparative
- most hectic superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hectic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Very busy with activity and confusion.
The city center is so hectic at 8 in the morning that I go to work an hour beforehand to avoid the crowds
- 2
obsoleteDenoting a type of fever accompanying consumption and similar wasting diseases, characterised by flushed cheeks and dry skin.
hectic fever
- 3
obsoletePertaining to or symptomatic of such a fever.
noun
- 1
obsoleteA hectic fever.
- 2
obsoleteA flush like one produced by such a fever.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hectic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | agité , hectique |
| German | hektisch |
| Portuguese | febril, frenético |
| Spanish | ajetreado, febril, agobiante, frenético, movido , héctico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hectic come from?
From Middle English etik, ethik, from Old French etique, from Medieval Latin *hecticus, from Ancient Greek ἑκτικός (hektikós, “habitual, hectic, consumptive”), from ἕξις (héxis, “a state or habit of body or of mind, condition”), from ἔχειν (ékhein, “to have, hold, be in a certain state”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).