hectic

adjective

ˈhek-tik How to pronounce hectic (audio)
Definition of hecticnext
as in excited
being in a state of increased activity or agitation exhausted from a hectic day at the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hectic Retreat to Castel Badia For a little alpine town, Cortina can get hectic on weekends, when day-trippers from Venice and Verona pour in by the busload. — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Others shared in the catharsis, too — some resorting to jokes about the hectic postgame interviews Anthony Edwards and Ball furnished, some resorting to utter confusion. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026 Ada’s overlapping cycles of initiation and desperation are intensely dramatic, but the movie’s hectic pace leaves each of them merely encapsulated in brief onscreen action or a few lines of dialogue, left undeveloped. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 Teams were eager for a change, finding the travel burdensome and the schedule too hectic to focus on roster preparations, with the league’s awards ceremony, the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the start of free agency unfolding in a few weeks’ time. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hectic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectic
  1. excited
  2. heated
  3. agitated
  4. frenzied
Adjective
  • The 21-year-old was nervous and excited putting on the Lakers’ gold jersey Friday at Chase Center.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Mauricio Umansky, Richards' estranged husband, is just as excited for the family's new addition.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • Other players have covered their mouths while speaking to opponents during the World Cup, but a red card is only issued if the conversation occurs during a confrontation or heated exchange.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • The living room has hardwood floors and beamed ceilings; the kitchen includes a peninsula and a sitting area that opens to a balcony; and the primary suite features a bath with heated floors.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 30 June 2026
Definition of heated
Adjective
  • People with heat stroke can feel confused, unable to speak properly and agitated.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 2 July 2026
  • However, first base umpire Todd Tichenor tossed the agitated second baseman after Chisholm spiked his helmet toward home plate.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • The Americans, playing in front of a frenzied crowed on home soil in the San Francisco Bay Area, were down a man and nursing a 1-0 lead.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • As Norway has advanced in the World Cup, the atmosphere has grown more frenzied in the country than even during a summer or winter Olympics, Tufte said.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of frenzied

Browse Nearby Words

hecks
hectic
hectically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hectic

Nglish: Translation of hectic for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All