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

See Examples For:

fever pitch

A.I. fears reach a fever pitch, Kevin Warsh votes to raise rates, and the SEC allows stocks to trade like crypto.

From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026

The shift to a November offering was made before public discourse on AI safety hit a fever pitch last week, some people familiar with the timing said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Public rhetoric on both sides reached a fever pitch on Monday, but some officials struck a more diplomatic tone on Tuesday with hopes that talks could be resumed.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The scramble for protective glasses has reached fever pitch across Europe ahead of Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse, as pharmacies, opticians and other shops struggled to keep them in stock.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Tensions at the camp reach a fever pitch.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly