1
a
: a rise of body temperature above the normal
b
: any of various diseases of which fever is a prominent symptom
2
a
: a state of heightened or intense emotion or activity
b
: a contagious usually transient enthusiasm : craze
fevered; fevering
ˈfē-vriŋ 
ˈfe-vər-iŋ
: to throw into a fever : agitate
: to contract or be in a fever : become feverish
Synonyms
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
Katie Kitamura, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
These were delirious thoughts, fever dreams of jet lag and helplessness, but perhaps somewhere in all of this there is a point for readers to remember: The news media is not just a business, not just a service to subscribe to or love or loathe.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fever 
Noun
The original resort is now a sprawling collection of pavilions set beside a burbling river, accompanied by a natural onsen — a minimalist fever dream of a traditional ryokan.
—Katie Kitamura, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
These were delirious thoughts, fever dreams of jet lag and helplessness, but perhaps somewhere in all of this there is a point for readers to remember: The news media is not just a business, not just a service to subscribe to or love or loathe.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fever
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to fever
Dictionary Entries Near fever
Cite this Entry
“Fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fever. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fever
1 of 2 noun
fe·ver
ˈfē-vər
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
fever
2 of 2 verb
fevered; fevering
ˈfēv-(ə-)riŋ
: to affect with fever
the malarial plasmodia fevered him
: to contract or be in a fever : be or become feverish
the malaria victim fevered intermittently
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share