hectic (redirected from hectics)

hec·tic  (hktk)

adj.

1. Characterized by intense activity, confusion, or haste: "There was nothing feverish or hectic about his vigor" (Erik Erikson).

2. Medicine Of, relating to, or being a fever that fluctuates during the day, as in tuberculosis or septicemia.

3. Consumptive; feverish.

4. Flushed.

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[Middle English etik, recurring, consumptive, from Old French etique, from Late Latin hecticus, from Greek hektikos, from hexis, habit, from ekhein, to be in a certain condition; see segh- in Indo-European roots.]

Word History: The Usage Panel survey done for the first edition of the American Heritage Dictionary (1969) found that 92 percent of the Panel approved of the use of hectic in its most familiar sense, "characterized by feverish activity, confusion, or haste." The question was posed because earlier that sense had sometimes been deprecated as a loose extension of the term's meaning in medicine, "relating to an undulating fever, such as those accompanying tuberculosis." Without some acquaintance with Middle English one would not recognize the first recorded instance of the word, etik, in a text written before 1398. The Middle English term comes from the Old French development of the Late Latin word hecticus, whose form helped reshape our word in the 16th century. Hecticus comes from Greek hektikos, "formed by habit or forming habit" and "consumptive." The last sense developed because of the chronic nature of tuberculous fevers. Thus a word that once meant "habitual" eventually had an English descendant used to refer to conditions that most would want to be rare.

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hectic

Adjective

involving a lot of rushed activity [Greek hektikos hectic, consumptive]

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

hectic - marked by intense agitation or emotion; "worked at a feverish pace" feverish agitated - troubled emotionally and usually deeply; "agitated parents"

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hectic

adjective frantic, chaotic, frenzied, heated, wild, excited, furious, fevered, animated, turbulent, flurrying, frenetic, boisterous, feverish, tumultuous, flustering, riotous, rumbustious << OPPOSITE peaceful

Translations

hectic [ˈhɛktɪk] adj → agitado (= busy); ocupado

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hectic [ˈhɛktɪk] adj [schedule] → très chargé(e); [day] → mouvementé(e); [activity] → fiévreux/euse (= lifestyle); trépidant(e)

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hectic [ˈhɛktɪk] adj → hektisch

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hectic [ˈhɛktɪk] adj → movimentato/a (= busy); frenetico/a

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hectic

adj hectic [ˈhektik]

very busy; rushed Life is hectic these days. wild, woes مَشغول جِداً трескав horečný, vzrušený hektisk hektisch πυρετώδης febril, frenético ärev پر درد سر kuumeinen trépidant סוֹעֵר, קַדחתַנִי चहल-पहल भरा groznicav, užurban izgatott sibuk erilsamur frenetico 大忙しの 분주한 karštas, karštligiškas drudžains; nemierīgs sgt sibuk hectisch hektisk, forkavet, oppjaget gorączkowy, szalony agitado agitat суматошный rušný vročičen užurban hektisk วุ่นวาย hareketli, koşuşturmalı 忙亂的 гарячковий مصروف، خلفشار میں مبتلا bận rộn 忙乱的