HECTICALLY Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

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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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

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

Fly’s brand of rap, defined by spare, steely 808 beats and club shoutouts, was wildly popular, spawning nearly 50 mixtape volumes and many more songs since.

— Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
That may still be the case in the coming weeks, but the second episode of HBO’s Lanterns makes for a fairly solid (if simple and straightforward) follow-up with some wildly entertaining moments.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of wildly

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hectic

hectically

hector

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“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hectically

adverb

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