feverishly

[fee-ver-ish-lee]

adverb

1. in a way that is overexcited, restless, or uncontrolled, as if from fever.

   I haven’t called you in the past few weeks because I've been working feverishly in the lab on a compelling new project.

2. to a degree that suggests fever.

   Tonight, his brilliant blue eyes were feverishly bright.

   It was a feverishly hot day in August.

3. in a manner caused by fever.

   He had forgotten how, just a few weeks ago, breathing was a chore and he was lying there helpless and feverishly delirious.

Other Word Forms

• nonfeverishly adverb
• pseudofeverishly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of feverishly¹

feverish ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

State leaders are feverishly trying to outdo each other in the quest to deliver.

From Salon

Until then, the Swiss government will feverishly try to negotiate.

From BBC

In the summer of 1945, scientists and technicians at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico worked feverishly to complete the construction of the atomic bomb.

From Salon

Despite my “talk to no one” intention on this idle Wednesday, I found myself distracted by a man sitting at the edge of the bar across from me, writing feverishly on a napkin.

From Los Angeles Times

During the next few days, he feverishly sketched and digitally painted the piece.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breathlessly www.thesaurus.com
• eagerly 
• frantically 
• furiously 
• heatedly www.thesaurus.com
• madly 
• passionately 
• tensely www.thesaurus.com
• wildly www.thesaurus.com