fever
abnormally high body temperature
An illness sign where your body is hotter than normal, usually because you are sick.
to have [a/high/mild] fever
- She had a high fever and chills all night.
- If the baby’s fever doesn’t go down, call the doctor.
- 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.
- I can’t go to work today because I have a fever.
- The child has a mild fever but is still playing.
- 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.
strong public excitement or hype
A very strong and shared feeling of excitement that many people have about something, like an election or a big game.
[event] fever
- The whole country is in the grip of election fever.
- World Cup fever has taken over the city.
- 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.
- The city is full of World Cup fever.
- Election fever is very strong this year.
- 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.
restless, intense excitement or anxiety
A very strong feeling of excitement or worry that makes a person feel restless or unable to stay calm.
in a fever of [emotion/activity]
- She waited in a fever of anxiety for the test results.
- He worked through the night in a fever of creativity.
- 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.
- She was in a fever of worry before the exam.
- He wrote the book in a fever of ideas.
- 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.
disease characterized by fever
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.
[modifier] fever
- Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes.
- Scarlet fever was once a common childhood disease.
- 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.
- Yellow fever is common in some tropical countries.
- Scarlet fever mostly affects children.
- 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.
- Base: fever
- Plural: fever, fevers
break a fever
2to make a fever go down
To make someone’s high body temperature go back to normal, often with medicine or rest.
- 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
5public excitement before an election
A strong feeling of interest and excitement that many people have before an election.
- 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
3very high excitement level
A very strong level of excitement, emotion, or activity.
- 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
1to be ill with fever
To be sick and have a body temperature that is too high.
- 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
6in a state of agitation
Feeling very excited, worried, or nervous, so that you cannot stay calm.
- 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
4restless excitement in springtime
A happy, excited, or restless feeling that some people get when spring begins and the weather gets warmer.
- 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
1restlessness 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.
- 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
1allergy 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.
- 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
1Have a high body temperature from illness
To be sick and have a higher than normal body heat.
- She’s been running a fever for two days now.
- If you run a fever, see a doctor immediately.
run a fever
2to have a high temperature
To have a higher body temperature than normal, usually because you are sick.
- 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.