feverish

adjective

Synonyms of feverishnext
1
a
: tending to cause fever
b
: having the symptoms of a fever
c
: indicating or relating to fever
2
: marked by intense emotion, activity, or instability
feverish excitement
feverishly adverb
feverishness noun

Examples of feverish in a Sentence

She was feeling tired and feverish. He had a feverish appearance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Catherine’s story line evokes a feverish what-if scenario in which a survivor musters the requisite recklessness, talent for murder, and wig collection to mete out retribution. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 With the 2024 election firmly in the rearview, the feverish hunt to weaponize the manosphere for political gain has largely subsided—what more could be wrung from the Tates at this stage? Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026 New cast members include Severance‘s Tramell Tillman and Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, the latter of whom is playing an unknown character which has led to feverish speculation online. Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 In 1992, the feminist filmmaker Sally Potter took on Woolf’s Orlando, crafting a feverish delight with Tilda Swinton at the center. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for feverish

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of feverish was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feverish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feverish. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

feverish

adjective
1
a
: having a fever
b
: of, relating to, or being fever
c
: tending to cause fever
2
: showing great emotion or activity : hectic
feverish excitement
feverishly adverb
feverishness noun

Medical Definition

feverish

adjective
1
: showing symptoms indicating fever (as increased heat and thirst or delirium) : having a fever
the patient is feverish
specifically : abnormally hot
the child's forehead felt feverish
2
: of or indicating fever
a feverish condition
3
: infected with or tending to cause fever
a damp, feverish, unhealthy spotR. L. Stevenson

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