In TOEIC vocabulary questions, hectic often describes busy work environments or schedules.
▪The manager had a hectic day at the office.
▪The manager had a very busy day at the office.
Example of a confusing word: erratic (unpredictable)
▪The manager had an erratic day at the office.
▪The manager had an unpredictable day at the office.
"Hectic" is an adjective used to describe situations that are very busy and full of activity, often in a stressful way. In the sentence "The manager had a hectic day at the office," it accurately conveys the sense of being very busy. "Erratic," however, means "unpredictable" or "inconsistent," which does not fit the context of a busy workday. Using "erratic" suggests that the day was marked by sudden changes or lack of pattern, which is not the intended meaning here. Therefore, "hectic" is the correct choice.
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Hectic is used as an adjective to describe nouns like schedule, day, or pace in TOEIC grammar questions.
▪Her hectic schedule made it hard to relax.
▪Her very busy schedule made it hard to relax.
hectic
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
hectic schedule
'very busy plan', used when talking about a lot of tasks or activities.
▪He managed his hectic schedule well.
▪He managed his very busy plan well.
run around like a headless chicken
means 'to be very busy and disorganized'.
▪She was running around like a headless chicken before the meeting.
▪She was very busy and disorganized before the meeting.
Differences between similar words and hectic
hectic
,
busy
differences
Hectic implies a more chaotic and overwhelming level of activity than busy.
hectic
▪The day was hectic with many meetings.
▪The day was very busy with many meetings.
busy
▪She had a busy afternoon at work.
▪She had an afternoon full of tasks at work.
hectic
Words with the same origin as hectic
The origin of hectic
The word's etymology is not clear.
Word structure
The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.
Words with the same origin
The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.
