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Semantic Crisis Intervention
Some people are bothered by changes in a word’s meaning (see: literally), while others have a more relaxed attitude towards semantic drift. For those who feel vexed when a word seems to have suddenly changed its spots, it may be of some comfort to know that words in English do this all the time; crisis is a fine example. Originally, crisis denoted “the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever.” Now it most commonly means “a difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention,” yet few people insist that it should be used exclusively in its older meaning. The normality of semantic change can be seen in another word that first appeared in febrile contexts: hectic, which now is primarily used to mean “very busy,” originally referred to a fever that was fluctuating but recurrent.
Synonyms
Examples of hectic in a Sentence
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Given the hectic pace of AI development, the version of Llama in question (13B) is far from cutting-edge.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
His intent was to escape his hectic Hollywood lifestyle and show the world the path to sustainability.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
The timing of this year’s three-day event, just weeks before the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, served as a relaxing prequel to the hectic race.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hectic 
Dictionary Entries Near hectic
Cite this Entry
“Hectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hectic. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
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