dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē 

-ˌgā

: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (serotypes of Orthoflavivirus denguei), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and typically characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash but may progress into a more serious illness marked by hemorrhagic symptoms

called also breakbone fever, dengue fever

Examples of dengue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In severe dengue, tiny blood vessels throughout the body start leaking fluid, blood pressure can crash and dangerous bleeding or organ damage can follow. — Andrés Henao, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

People who have had dengue before are much more likely to develop severe symptoms. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Small’s death marks the state’s first dengue death in nearly a century, Kristi Miley, who teaches at USF’s College of Public Health, told the Tampa Bay Times. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026

Aedes aegypti — known to transmit dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, zika and West Nile viruses — has been established in Cyprus since 2022 and may spread to other European countries. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

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 caused by a flavivirus (serotypes of Orthoflavivirus denguei) transmitted by mosquitos of the genus Aedes and that is typically characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash but may progress to the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever

called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever