febrile

[fee-bruhl, feb-ruhl, fee-brahyl]

adjective

1. pertaining to or marked by fever; feverish.

febrile

/ ˈfiːbraɪl, fɪˈbrɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to fever; feverish

Other Word Forms

• febrility noun
• nonfebrile adjective
• postfebrile adjective
• unfebrile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of febrile¹

1645–55; < New Latin, Medieval Latin febrīlis. See fever, -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of febrile¹

C17: from medical Latin febrīlis , from Latin febris fever

Example Sentences

Their attendance, and link to a previous era, served as a reminder of just what is possible on these nights where the stadium shakes and atmosphere tends to be at its febrile best.

From BBC

He was unable to serve out in a febrile atmosphere and Medvedev fought back to take the match into a deciding fifth set.

From BBC

Those in the boy's home town remember a time of febrile speculation.

From BBC

In the face of febrile bond markets, this week the faint sound of the bugle of retreat on the US trade war got louder.

From BBC

And the result is likely to tell us a lot about the febrile and fractured state of British politics in 2025.

From BBC

When To Use

What does febrile mean?

Febrile is a more formal way of saying feverish—having a fever.A fever is an abnormally high body temperature, typically as the result of illness. In general, febrile can mean somehow related to or marked by fever. It is commonly used in formal medical contexts, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe situations marked by a state of anxious excitement.Example: Nothing is worse than the febrile sweat that comes with the flu.