Meanings
- 1
Thesaurus
Simplified etymology
Frenetic came through French and Latin from Greek phrenitikos, based on phrenitis, “delirium.” When it entered English in the late Middle English period, it meant “insane”; frantic was originally simply an alternative form, and frenzy comes from the same root.
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.