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

Severe dengue is a medical emergency that impacts 1 in 20 who are sickened by the virus, and requires immediate care. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025

The species that have taken hold in Clark County include Culex mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus, and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary spreaders of dengue. —Denise Chow, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025

Puerto Rico also has an ongoing dengue outbreak, along with American Samoa. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025

These species of mosquitoes are also known to carry other disease-causing pathogens, like those that cause dengue and Zika infections. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 5 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