frenetic

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2026 is: frenetic \frih-NET-ik\ adjective Something described as frenetic is filled with excitement, activity, or confusion. The word is a synonym of [frantic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic). // The event was noisy and frenetic, which prompted us to leave early. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenetic) Examples: “As Marty Mauser, a wannabe table tennis champion who dreams and deceives his way through his shamble of a life ... [Timothée Chalamet] injects his scenes with enough nervous energy to fuel a plane. Nowhere will you see a performance more frenetic or impressive.” — Ralph Jones, Vanity Fair, 9 Feb. 2026 Did you know? In modern use, frenetic can describe a focused and intense effort to meet a deadline, or dancing among a hyped-up crowd, but the word’s Middle English predecessor, frenetik, had a narrower use: it was used to describe those exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind. If you trace frenetic back far enough, you’ll find that it comes from Greek phrenîtis, a term referring to an inflammation of the brain. As for [frenzied](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenzied) and [frantic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frantic), they’re not only synonyms of frenetic but relatives as well. Frantic comes from frenetik, and frenzied traces back to phrenîtis.