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

In India's febrile and deeply divided political marketplace, his debut, many believe, stands as a cautionary tale: breaking into the system is far harder than diagnosing its flaws from the outside.

Read more on BBC

In his resignation email to staff, he wrote of "the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times".

Read more on BBC

In his resignation statement he referenced "the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times".

Read more on BBC

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.

Read more on BBC

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

Read more on 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.