hyperthermia

noun

hy·​per·​ther·​mia ˌhī-pər-ˈthər-mē-ə 

: exceptionally high fever especially when induced artificially for therapeutic purposes

hyperthermic

ˌhī-pər-ˈthər-mik 

adjective

Examples of hyperthermia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The women had reportedly been unconscious when first responders arrived and were believed to have suffered from hyperthermia. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 27 Aug. 2025

According to the Mayo Clinic, hyperthermia is a condition where the body's temperature rises to dangerous levels when reaching 104 degrees. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025

Some women, all over the age of 80, were vacationing in a cabin and made use of its hot tub when two of them suffered from hyperthermia due to pre-existing conditions. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

That's more than twice the number of those who've died from hyperthermia, the medical term for when someone's body overheats. —Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from hyper- + therm- + -ia

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hyperthermia

• hypothermia

Medical Definition

hyperthermia

noun

hy·​per·​ther·​mia ˌhī-pər-ˈthər-mē-ə 

1

: elevated temperature of the body (as that occurring in heatstroke) see malignant hyperthermia

2

: the artificial heating of all or part of the body (as in diathermy) for therapeutic purposes (as to treat cancer)

hyperthermic

-mik 

adjective