Can "hectic" be used to describe a person?

 Question

Laurie in the U.S. asked: Can hectic be used to describe a person, as in, “She is a hectic person”?

Answer  

This would be a very uncommon use of hectic. Hectic is an adjective that means “busy and filled with activity, excitement, or confusion,” and it is almost always used to describe a noun in one of these 4 categories:

1. a period of time (for example, hectic moment, hectic year)
2. an event or activity that takes place over a period of time (hectic holiday, hectic rehearsal)
3. an environment or atmosphere (hectic scene, hectic world)
4. the speed at which an event or activity unfolds (hectic pace, hectic lifestyle)

Here are some example sentences with hectic:

• We both had hectic days at work.
• Louisa maintains a hectic schedule as a journalist and a mother.
• There was a hectic scene in the parking lot after the football game was over.

Using hectic to describe a person would be unusual, and it would sound odd to most people. However, there is no rule against it, especially in creative or poetic language.

I hope this helps.