dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē 

-ˌgā

: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (species Dengue virus of the genus Flavivirus), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash

called also breakbone fever, dengue fever

Examples of dengue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tens of thousands of people have fallen ill with dengue, cholera, and other diseases after recent rains, compounding a series of crises in the country. —semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Over the past few weeks, the U.S. has experienced a surge in virus outbreaks, including chikungunya, Legionnaires' disease and dengue fever, which have all sickened hundreds of people and can adversely affect the body in severe cases. —Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Aug. 2025

There have been 11 cases of dengue in Oahu, and one in Maui, the Hawaii Department of Health said in a statement. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025

In addition to being able to spread dengue, these insects are a major nuisance. —Denise Chow, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē  -ˌgā 

: an acute infectious disease that is characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash and that is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus (species Dengue virus) transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes

called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever