hectically

adverb

as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner a moth kept banging hectically against the screen, seeking the light on the other side

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 hectically Cameramen raced around hectically setting up lights and checking shots as choreographers ran through fight sequences and a prop team worked out how to hoist a net that would later restrain a hostage. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 When Grace first awakens on his ship, the film cuts hectically around, above, and below him, as if to approximate his mental and physical disorientation. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026 Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026 The old Helena would have mumbled something under her breath, hectically pressed the call button a few more times, and fled the situation as quickly as possible. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectically
  1. frantically
  2. wildly
Adverb
  • Catatonia Sleep issues Suicidal thoughts or behaviors Pressured speech — speaking rapidly, frantically or without taking pauses to breathe or let someone else talk.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Immediately, speculation arose that Walter is frantically trying to raise cash to pay off all those loans from the insurance companies to his affiliate entity companies.
    — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adverb
  • Primetime will trace the origins of Hansen’s famed series To Catch a Predator, the wildly popular program that exposed alleged pedophiles by using hidden cameras to capture adults trying to meet underage teens in online chat rooms.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Hopefully that is not an omen for a wildly inflated price on the top models.
    — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wildly

Browse Nearby Words

hectic
hectically
hector
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Cite this Entry

“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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