fever
Americannoun
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fevers
plural
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an abnormal condition of the body, characterized by undue rise in temperature, quickening of the pulse, and disturbance of various body functions.
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an abnormally high body temperature.
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the number of degrees of such a temperature above the normal.
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any of a group of diseases in which high temperature is a prominent symptom.
scarlet fever.
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intense nervous excitement.
The audience was in a fever of anticipation.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an abnormally high body temperature, accompanied by a fast pulse rate, dry skin, etc
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any of various diseases, such as yellow fever or scarlet fever, characterized by a high temperature
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intense nervous excitement or agitation
she was in a fever about her party
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fever
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fefer, from Latin febr-, stem of febris; reinforced by Anglo-French fevre, Old French fievre, from Latin, as above
Explanation
A fever happens when the body's internal temperature is higher than normal. If you have a sore throat, a headache, and a fever, you may have the flu. When you have a fever, your skin may feel hot, and your temperature as measured by a thermometer will be high. A fever can also make you feel achy, tired, and chilly, and it can be a sign that you've got some kind of infection. The Old English is fefor, from a Latin root, febris, also "fever." Doctors and nurses sometimes refer to a fever as a "febrile response."
Vocabulary lists containing fever
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Measles causes fever, respiratory symptoms and a rash, and in some cases more serious complications such as pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can lead to severe long-term health problems or even death.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
"If you have already tried it. Stop. See a doctor if you have pain, bleeding, burning, itching, unusual discharge, or fever," it advised.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Here the side effect is that of a vaccine: You might be tired tomorrow or spike a fever tonight, and that’s your side effect,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
"Among the viruses that more easily affect the body with the help of these drugs are Rift Valley fever virus, influenza A, adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," Kainov says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
Some of them joined what Dunmore called the Ethiopian Regiment, a force that ended up weakened by yellow fever, attacked by patriot soldiers, and chased from Virginia.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Manganiello detailed debilitating abdominal pain, fevers, rashes, headaches, fatigue and ulcers in his digestive tract that caused bleeding and led to countless colonoscopies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
It is considered the safest option for treating pain and fever in pregnant women, as other medications, including aspirin or ibuprofen, present proven risks to the fetus -- as do untreated fevers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Health officials say the sick passengers have symptoms like fevers along with gastrointestinal and respiratory issues.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
His fevers were so bad that he insisted on sleeping in the rain, and he writhed in pain "like he'd been thrown in hot oil", says his mother, Sughra.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
He also had a recurrence of malaria that gave him fevers lasting weeks.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
