fever pitch

American  

noun

1. a high degree of excitement, as of a gathering of people.

   The announcement of victory brought the crowd to fever pitch.

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fever pitch British  

noun

1. a state of intense excitement

   things were at fever pitch with the election coming up

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Etymology

Origin of fever pitch

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Swift has ties to several US cities and guesswork about the locale has reached fever pitch.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The Knicks’ playoff run has been creating major buzz, which should hit a fever pitch during the Finals.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Once again, the details were supplied by random commenters, who were beginning to work themselves into a fever pitch: Were these clues?

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Fears that autonomous AI agents would damage software-as-a-service companies’ business models reached fever pitch earlier this year, with shares in tech companies the world over selling off in response.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

He raises one arm up high as the music’s tempo increases to a fever pitch, until I can hardly bear it.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu