febrile
adjective
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Not too surprisingly, febrile originated in the field of medicine. We note its first use in the work of the 17th-century medical reformer Noah Biggs. Biggs used it in admonishing physicians to care for their "febrile patients" properly. Both feverish and febrile are from the Latin word for "fever," which is febris. Nowadays, febrile is used in medicine in a variety of ways, including references to such things as "the febrile phase" of an illness. And, like feverish, it also has an extended sense, as in "a febrile emotional state."
Examples of febrile in a Sentence
Jason Barlow, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
More days like Sunday, with the nation at the febrile intersection of heartache, frustration and anger, will challenge Netanyahu like never before.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 2 Sep. 2024
In navigating a febrile political atmosphere while heading an 11-member coalition, Paetongtarn also inherits a host of challenges, including fixing Thailand’s sluggish economy and reviving Pheu Thai’s sliding popularity.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024
The casting of Slate and Minhaj is inspired: melodrama, thanks to its borderline absurdity, requires an acting style not far from that of comedy, with febrile energy, confessional fervor, and an ability to let underlying ironies emerge without winking at the audience.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for febrile 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'febrile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near febrile
Cite this Entry
“Febrile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/febrile. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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