feverish

adjective

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfe-vər-ish 

ˈfē-vrish

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

Synonyms

• agitated
• excited
• frenzied
• heated
• hectic
• hyperactive
• overactive
• overwrought

Examples of feverish in a Sentence

She was feeling tired and feverish.

He had a feverish appearance.

Recent Examples on the Web

The injection of superstardom certainly gave the fixture a new dimension and created a feverish atmosphere with the match shown live on the UK’s Sky Sports. —Ben Church, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024

The multiverse slowly morphs from a giddy lucid dream into a feverish waking nightmare. —Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024

The anticipation for the first-ever breakdancing competition was feverish leading up to Friday’s debut of the women’s qualifying rounds. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2024

But the feverish thoughts that came with Bloody Jack could be strangely invigorating. —Phyllis Rose, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

feverish

adjective

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfēv-(ə-)rish 

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

fe·​ver·​ish ˈfēv-(ə-)rish 

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 spot

—R. L. Stevenson