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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
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2024
In the middle of this hectic offseason, Soto's $765 million contract likely caused Blue Jays' first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s price to rise quite a bit.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
As Americans ramp up for a week of hectic holiday travel, a government shutdown continues to loom after a bipartisan agreement reached by Congress failed to pass following conservative fallout.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
After a hectic holiday season, hibernation is in order — or at least curling up on the couch with your favorite series for a few hours.
—Melissa Epifano, People.com, 29 Dec. 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 18 Jan. 2025.
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hectic
adjective
Medical Definition
hectic
adjective
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