Hectic

//ˈhɛktɪk// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A hectic fever. obsolete

    "[…] Do it England, / For like the Hecticke in my blood he rages, / And thou muſt cure me: […]"

  2. 2
    A flush like one produced by such a fever. obsolete

    "The poor Franciscan made no reply: a hectic of a moment pass’d across his cheek, but could not tarry […]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    Very busy with activity and confusion. figuratively

    "The city center is so hectic at 8 in the morning that I go to work an hour beforehand to avoid the crowds"

  2. 2
    Denoting a type of fever accompanying consumption and similar wasting diseases, characterised by flushed cheeks and dry skin. obsolete

    "hectic fever"

  3. 3
    Pertaining to or symptomatic of such a fever. obsolete

    "Ann had a hectic cough, and many unfavourable prognostics […]."

Adjective
  1. 1
    marked by intense agitation or emotion wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
feverishagitatedardentat fever pitchbloomblooming

Example

More examples

"I don't work now and I lead a less hectic life."

Etymology

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”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.