fever
gb/fˈivɚ/ us/fˈivɚ/
A2
English
~ 7000
láz, felfokozott közhangulat, lázas izgalom
NOUN
A2
1
láz
A2
Usage pattern:
to have [a/high/mild] fever
She had a high fever and chills all night.
Egész éjjel magas láza volt, és rázta a hideg.
If the baby’s fever doesn’t go down, call the doctor.
Ha a baba láza nem megy le, hívd fel az orvost.
His fever finally broke after he took the medicine.
The nurse checked my temperature and said I didn’t have a fever.
A sudden fever can be an early sign of infection.
Learner examples
I can’t go to work today because I have a fever.
Ma nem tudok bemenni dolgozni, mert lázam van.
The child has a mild fever but is still playing.
A gyereknek enyhe láza van, de még mindig játszik.
If you have a fever, you should drink a lot of water.
Her fever is very high, so she is in bed.
My fever went away after two days.
Common mistake:
Many learners say *"I have fever"* without an article. In most everyday English, you should say *"I have a fever"*. Another confusion is between *"I have a temperature"* and *"I have a fever"*: both can be used in conversation, but *"temperature"* by itself does not always mean the temperature is too high, while *"fever"* always means it is higher than normal.
Meaning
abnormally high body temperature
Collocations
high fever
|mild fever
|low-grade fever
|have a fever
|run a fever
|spike a fever
Synonyms
temperature (Often used informally in the same way as 'fever' when talking about illness, but can also mean body heat in general, not only when it is too high.)
Antonyms
normal temperature (Describes a usual, healthy body temperature, showing that there is no fever.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|daily life
|body
Definition
An illness sign where your body is hotter than normal, usually because you are sick.
A medical condition in which the body temperature is higher than normal, usually as a sign of infection or illness.
NOUN
B2
2
láz
B2
Usage pattern:
[event] fever
The whole country is in the grip of election fever.
Az egész országot elkapta a választási láz.
World Cup fever has taken over the city.
A városon eluralkodott a vb-láz.
As the concert date approached, fan fever reached new heights.
Media fever grew as the trial entered its final week.
Shopping fever hits every year during the holiday sales.
Learner examples
The city is full of World Cup fever.
A városban mindenkit elkapott a vb-láz.
Election fever is very strong this year.
Idén különösen nagy a választási láz.
There was movie fever when the new film came out.
The town has football fever before the big match.
Fans showed music fever before the band arrived.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is always negative. In fact, it can be neutral or even positive, depending on the context. Also, it normally appears with another noun before it, like *"election fever"*, not by itself as *"I have fever"* in this sense.
Meaning
strong public excitement or hype
Collocations
election fever
|World Cup fever
|football fever
|Olympic fever
Synonyms
mania (Suggests intense and sometimes irrational excitement, often stronger or more uncontrolled than 'fever'.)
Antonyms
apathy (Describes a lack of interest or excitement, the opposite of the lively feeling suggested by 'fever' in this sense.)
Themes
society
|media
|emotions
|communication
Definition
A very strong and shared feeling of excitement that many people have about something, like an election or a big game.
A strong, widespread feeling of excitement or nervous energy among many people, especially before an important event or period.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
3
láz
C1
Usage pattern:
in a fever of [emotion/activity]
She waited in a fever of anxiety for the test results.
Szorongás lázában várta a teszt eredményeit.
He worked through the night in a fever of creativity.
Alkotólázban dolgozta végig az éjszakát.
The news threw the office into a fever of nervous excitement.
In a fever of worry, he paced up and down the room.
The crowd was in a fever of anticipation before the doors opened.
Learner examples
She was in a fever of worry before the exam.
A vizsga előtt az aggodalom lázában égett.
He wrote the book in a fever of ideas.
Az ötletek lázában írta meg a könyvet.
The fans were in a fever of excitement before the show.
I was in a fever of fear while I waited for the call.
They were in a fever of hope during the final minutes of the game.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the medical meaning and think it always refers to body temperature. In this sense, 'fever' is metaphorical and usually appears in fixed phrases like *"in a fever of anxiety"* or *"in a fever of excitement"*, not with numbers or medical details.
Meaning
restless, intense excitement or anxiety
Collocations
in a fever
|a fever of anxiety
|a fever of excitement
|creative fever
Synonyms
agitation (Focuses more on nervous unease and emotional disturbance, sometimes with less of the excited or energetic feeling that 'fever' suggests.)
Antonyms
calm (A quiet, peaceful emotional state with no strong excitement or anxiety, the opposite of being in a 'fever' of feeling.)
Themes
emotions
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very strong feeling of excitement or worry that makes a person feel restless or unable to stay calm.
A state of very strong, often restless excitement, anxiety, or activity in a person.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
4
láz
C1
Usage pattern:
[modifier] fever
Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes.
A sárgalázat fertőzött szúnyogok terjesztik.
Scarlet fever was once a common childhood disease.
A skarlát egykor gyakori gyermekbetegség volt.
Dengue fever can cause severe pain and high temperature.
The region has reported several cases of Lassa fever this year.
Vaccination programs greatly reduced deaths from many fevers.
Learner examples
Yellow fever is common in some tropical countries.
A sárgaláz egyes trópusi országokban gyakori.
Scarlet fever mostly affects children.
A skarlát főként gyerekeket érint.
Dengue fever can make people very weak.
Doctors are studying a new type of fever in the area.
He caught yellow fever while traveling abroad.
Common mistake:
Learners may think the word 'fever' alone names a specific disease. In modern English, it usually needs another word, like *'scarlet'* or *'yellow'*, to name a particular fever illness.
Meaning
disease characterized by fever
Collocations
scarlet fever
|yellow fever
|dengue fever
|Lassa fever
Synonyms
illness (A very general word for being sick; it does not show that a high temperature is the main sign in the way that a named 'fever' disease does.)
Antonyms
health (Describes a state of physical well-being with no disease, the opposite of having a named fever illness.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|science
Definition
A kind of infectious illness whose name includes the word ‘fever’, usually with high body heat and other clear signs, for example scarlet fever or yellow fever.
Any of various infectious diseases that are named with the word ‘fever’ and are characterized by high temperature and other specific symptoms, especially in medical or scientific contexts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fever
IPA
GB/fˈivɚ/
US/fˈivɚ/
Syllables & stress
fever (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fever)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fever
- Plural: fever, fevers
Word family
Forms
fevers
noun
Core family
feverish
adjective A2
feverishly
adverb B2
Advanced or less common
febrile
adjective
Expressions
break a fever
2/bɹˈeɪk ə fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
to make a fever go down
To make someone’s high body temperature go back to normal, often with medicine or rest.
Examples
- The medicine helped break his fever by morning.
- She drank fluids and rested to break the fever naturally.
- If the fever doesn’t break, we may need stronger treatment.
election fever
5/ɪlˈɛkʃən fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
public excitement before an election
A strong feeling of interest and excitement that many people have before an election.
Examples
- Election fever has spread through the capital.
- The media played a big role in building election fever.
- As polling day approached, election fever reached new heights.
fever pitch
3/fˈivɚ pˈɪt͡ʃ/
idiom
very high excitement level
A very strong level of excitement, emotion, or activity.
Examples
- Tension reached fever pitch just before the results were announced.
- Media interest in the case was at fever pitch.
- The crowd’s excitement rose to fever pitch during the final song.
have a fever
1/hˈæv ə fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
to be ill with fever
To be sick and have a body temperature that is too high.
Examples
- I can’t go to school today because I have a fever.
- She has a fever and a sore throat.
- If you have a fever for more than three days, see your doctor.
in a fever
6/ˈɪn ə fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
in a state of agitation
Feeling very excited, worried, or nervous, so that you cannot stay calm.
Examples
- She waited in a fever for his reply.
- He paced the room in a fever of worry.
- The team was in a fever before the final decision was announced.
spring fever
4/spɹˈɪŋ fˈivɚ/
idiom
restless excitement in springtime
A happy, excited, or restless feeling that some people get when spring begins and the weather gets warmer.
Examples
- I always get spring fever when the days start getting longer.
- The students had a bad case of spring fever and couldn’t sit still in class.
- With the sunshine and warm air, spring fever hit the whole office.
cabin fever
1/kˈæbən fˈivɚ/
idiom
restlessness from being stuck inside
A feeling of stress, boredom, or anger because you have been inside or in the same place for too long and cannot go out.
Examples
- After a week of rain, we all had cabin fever.
- After a week of rain, the kids were bouncing off the walls with cabin fever.
- Being stuck at home gave him serious cabin fever.
- By the end of winter, many people start to suffer from cabin fever.
- The kids are getting cabin fever; they need to go outside and play.
- We took a long walk just to fight the cabin fever from working at home all week.
hay fever
1/hˈeɪ fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
allergy to pollen causing sneezing
A common allergy, usually in spring or summer, that makes your nose and eyes itch and your nose run because of pollen in the air.
Examples
- My hay fever is terrible in the spring.
- She gets terrible hay fever every spring when the trees bloom.
- He takes tablets every day for hay fever.
- I take tablets for hay fever so I can enjoy being outside.
- Hay fever makes her eyes red and itchy when the grass is cut.
- His hay fever is so bad that he keeps tissues with him all the time.
run a fever
1/ɹˈʌn ə fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
Have a high body temperature from illness
To be sick and have a higher than normal body heat.
Examples
- She’s been running a fever for two days now.
- If you run a fever, see a doctor immediately.
run a fever
2/ɹˈʌn ə fˈivɚ/
fixed phrase
to have a high temperature
To have a higher body temperature than normal, usually because you are sick.
Examples
- The child is running a fever and should see a doctor.
- If you start to run a fever, call me right away.
- He ran a fever all night but felt better in the morning.