feverish

adjective

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfē-vər-ish 

ˈfē-vrish

1

a

: tending to cause fever

b

: having the symptoms of a fever

c

: indicating or relating to fever

2

: marked by intense emotion, activity, or instability

feverish excitement

feverishly adverb

feverishness noun

Synonyms of feverish

• heated
• excited
• agitated

Examples of feverish in a Sentence

She was feeling tired and feverish.

He had a feverish appearance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Leeds United’s goalkeeper does not manage his social media accounts but his friends have kept him informed of the feverish reaction to his arrival. — Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Angels is relentless, melodic, and aggressive—Pocket Pet and Achilles are standouts—a darkly feverish run of glitchy and tense soundscapes. — Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026

Throughout this long, cold winter, an air of feverish anticipation has simmered in Chile's capital. — John Bartlett, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026

Catherine’s story line evokes a feverish what-if scenario in which a survivor musters the requisite recklessness, talent for murder, and wig collection to mete out retribution. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

feverish

adjective

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfēv-(ə-)rish 

1

a

: having a fever

b

: of, relating to, or being fever

c

: tending to cause fever

2

: showing great emotion or activity : hectic

feverish excitement

feverishly adverb

feverishness noun

Medical Definition

feverish

adjective

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfēv-(ə-)rish 

1

: showing symptoms indicating fever (as increased heat and thirst or delirium) : having a fever

the patient is feverish

specifically : abnormally hot

the child's forehead felt feverish

2

: of or indicating fever

a feverish condition

3

: infected with or tending to cause fever

a damp, feverish, unhealthy spot

—R. L. Stevenson