Hectic Definition

hĕktĭk
adjective
Designating or of the recurrent or persistent fever accompanying wasting diseases, esp. tuberculosis.
Webster's New World
Of, affected with, or characteristic of a wasting disease, as tuberculosis.
Webster's New World
Characterized by confusion, rush, excitement, etc.
Webster's New World
Consumptive; feverish.
American Heritage Medicine
Red or flushed, as with fever.
Webster's New World
noun

(obsolete) A hectic fever.

Wiktionary

(obsolete) A flush like one produced by such a fever.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Hectic

Noun

Singular:
hectic
Plural:
hectics

Origin of Hectic

  • Middle English etik recurring fever from Old French etique from Late Latin hecticus from Greek hektikos habitual, consumptive (as a fever) from hexis habit from ekhein to be in a certain condition segh- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French etique, from Medieval Latin *hecticus, from Ancient Greek έκτικός (ektikos, “habitual, hectic, consumptive”), from έξις (exis, “a state or habit of body or of mind, condition”), from ἔχειν (ekhein, “to have, hold, intransitive be in a certain state”).

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to hectic using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

hectic