Hectic
/ˈhɛk.tɪk/noun
Characterized by intense activity, confusion, or urgency; also relating to a persistent fever.
Did you know?In older English medicine, a hectic fever was a long, consuming fever often linked to tuberculosis, and the word comes from Greek *hektikos*, meaning “habitual” or “persistent.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hektikos
“Habitual, fixed, or persistent; later used in medicine for a long-lasting fever.”
Late Latin
Latin
hecticus
“Pertaining to a persistent wasting fever.”
Middle French
French
hectique
“A hectic or consumptive fever.”
14th-16th Century
English
hectik / hectic
“A persistent fever, especially a wasting one.”
Modern English
English
hectic
“Characterized by frantic activity, confusion, or intensity.”
Explore more surprising origins