fever pitch

noun

: a state of intense excitement and agitation

Examples of fever pitch in a Sentence

I worked myself up to a fever pitch of enthusiasm. New allegations brought interest in the scandal to a fever pitch. Demand for the new car soon reached fever pitch.
Recent Examples on the Web The tour shattered commercial records and brought the buzz around the singer-songwriter to a fever pitch. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023 Tensions within the GOP over the blockage reached a fever pitch earlier this month when several Senate Republicans spoke out against Tuberville's blanket hold on the floor of the chamber. Jack Birle, Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2023 Tensions between the world’s two most powerful countries have reached a fever pitch in the past year, with economic confrontation rising amid a tech war over everything from semiconductors to rare metals needed for electric vehicles. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023 At the same time, there are signs that audience enthusiasm is no longer at a fever pitch for superhero stories. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023 After seven straight months of the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen, the grassroots protest movement has reached a fever pitch. Time, 22 July 2023 Her pointed way of probing issues of identity and social hierarchy caught fire in 2020, as both the pandemic and racial justice movements around the murder of George Floyd and killing of Breonna Taylor hit a fever pitch. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2023 The actors, who enter at fever pitch (and somewhat blurry diction), accelerate to levels that are a thrill to behold. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023 An unending struggle With the campaign reaching fever pitch at the start of May, Modi landed on the coast to lead a teeming rally. Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fever pitch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fever pitch was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near fever pitch

Cite this Entry

“Fever pitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fever%20pitch. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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