fever

noun

fe·ver | \ ˈfē-vər

Definition of fever

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a rise of body temperature above the normal

b : any of various diseases of which fever is a prominent symptom

2a : a state of heightened or intense emotion or activity

b : a contagious usually transient enthusiasm : craze

fever

verb

fevered; fevering\ ˈfē-vriŋ

, ˈfe-vər-iŋ \

Definition of fever (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to throw into a fever : agitate

intransitive verb

: to contract or be in a fever : become feverish

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about fever

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Examples of fever in a Sentence

Noun

The symptoms of the disease include headache and fever. We waited in a fever of anticipation. He had us all in a fever with worry.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Here three people gather at the bedside of the somnolent d’Alembert, who triggers a four-way talkfest by giving voice to a wild, uninhibited fever-dream. — Dan Hofstadter, WSJ, "‘Diderot’ Review: Wherever His Mind Led Him," 15 Feb. 2019 One, this collection is a millennial's Instagram fever dream. — Glamour, "Amazon Just Launched Its Own Skin Care Line, and Everything Is Under $40," 20 Mar. 2019 So are indications of infection, like a fever or strange discharge leaking from a sore. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What the Hell Is a Sitz Bath? (And Why Would You Take One?)," 14 Mar. 2019 And of course, Challenger was also pushing too hard to meet schedule pressure: launch fever. — Margaret Lazarus Dean, Popular Mechanics, "The Oral History of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster," 28 Jan. 2019 Salmonella causes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. — Jesse Newman, WSJ, "Wide Recalls Are Latest Jolt to Food-Supply Chain," 22 Oct. 2018 Croup can also cause a fever, a hoarse voice, and difficult or noisy breathing. — Korin Miller, SELF, "HGTV's Tarek and Christina El Moussa's Son Was Hospitalized for Croup," 16 Oct. 2018 If heat exhaustion isn’t treated quickly, the patient can have a heat stroke, which causes a high fever, profuse sweating and hallucinations, among other symptoms. — Maria Elena Vizcaino, OrlandoSentinel.com, "With the heat index rising, here's how to stay cool this summer," 22 June 2018 In other words, anticholinergic medications can cause confusion and/or delirium, dry mouth, visual impairment, fever, and flushing. — Katie Heaney, The Cut, "So, Uh, Is It Bad If I’ve Been Taking My Allergy Meds for 10 Years Straight?," 17 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Proponents also argue that there is little evidence that fever itself, even a high fever, is harmful. — Richard Klasco, New York Times, "If Fever Helps Fight Infection, Should I Avoid Fever-Reducing Drugs?," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fever.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near fever

Statistics for fever

Last Updated

8 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for fever

The first known use of fever was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for fever

fever

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fever

: a body temperature that is higher than normal

: a disease that causes an increase in body temperature

: a state of excited emotion or activity

See the full definition for fever in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fever

noun

fe·ver | \ ˈfē-vər

Kids Definition of fever

1 : a body temperature that is higher than normal

2 : a disease involving fever

fever

noun

fe·ver | \ ˈfē-vər

Medical Definition of fever

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a rise of body temperature above the normal whether a natural response (as to infection) or artificially induced for therapeutic reasons

2 : an abnormal bodily state characterized by increased production of heat, accelerated heart action and pulse, and systemic debility with weakness, loss of appetite, and thirst

3 : any of various diseases of which fever is a prominent symptom