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

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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 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
  • Video of the incident posted to TikTok show passengers frantically escaping the plane via its inflatable emergency slides on an airport taxiway.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
  • That’s when 72-year-old Leidis Rodríguez frantically cooked beans after the lights switched on this week following hours of uninterrupted blackouts.
    — Andrea Rodriguez, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adverb
  • Oren’s particular calibration across all aspects of her atmosphere, design, pacing, and performances make that movie an especially fascinating film to revisit, as the reading of it differs quite wildly each time.
    — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Stewart had been singing with The Faces for several years before launching a wildly successful solo career in the early 1970s.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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