febrile

adjective

fe·brile ˈfe-ˌbrī(-ə)l

also

ˈfē-

: marked or caused by fever : feverish

a febrile reaction caused by an allergy

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

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As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024 Both stories could serve as metaphors for the beguiling, febrile experience of reading Murakami’s best fiction. —

Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024 This Year By Shane Croucher Senior Editor 0 Thanksgiving always falls soon after an election, and in recent years American politics has gained a febrile intensity—making this year's conversation over turkey a potential tinderbox. —

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024 Even as book collectors have, over the centuries, shifted shape from rectors to hedge-fund managers, they have remained driven by an impulse that is both febrile and fastidious. —

Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for febrile