fever
fever
Pronunciation
/ˈfiːvər/
fee: /fiː/ This syllable has two sounds. The "f" is pronounced as an unvoiced labiodental fricative, and the "ee" is pronounced as a long "e" sound, which is a close front unrounded vowel.
ver: /vər/ This syllable has three sounds. The "v" is pronounced as a voiced labiodental fricative, the "er" is pronounced as a schwa, which is a mid-central unrounded vowel, and the "r" is pronounced as an alveolar approximant.
Word Form Variations
"Fever" is primarily a noun. Nouns don't typically have singular and plural forms in the same way that some other words do (like "cat" and "cats").
However, here are some variations you might encounter:
Fevers: While less common, you might see "fevers" used in a more general sense, such as "different fevers have different causes."
Feverish: This is an adjective describing someone experiencing a fever (e.g., "The child felt feverish").
Feverishly: This is the adverb form of "feverish" (e.g., "He worked feverishly to finish the project").
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: An abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering, headache, and sweating, often indicating an illness.
Synonyms: pyrexia, temperature
Antonyms: (There isn't a direct antonym for fever, but you could consider "normal temperature" or "afebrile" - meaning without fever)
Definition 2: A state of heightened excitement or agitation.
Synonyms: frenzy, fervor, passion, excitement
Antonyms: calmness, tranquility, apathy
Adjective (Feverish)
Definition: Exhibiting or caused by a fever; marked by intense emotion or activity.
Synonyms: febrile, flushed, burning, heated, frenzied
Antonyms: calm, cool, collected, composed
Adverb (Feverishly)
Definition: In a feverish manner; with intense emotion or activity.
Synonyms: excitedly, frantically, passionately
Antonyms: calmly, coolly, peacefully
Examples of Use
Books:
"The Fever" by Megan Abbott: This thriller novel uses "fever" both literally, as a contagious illness spreading through a high school, and metaphorically, to describe the fear and paranoia gripping the community. (Abbott, Megan. The Fever. Little, Brown and Company, 2014.)
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: This short story features a woman diagnosed with "nervous exhaustion" and confined to a room, where her mental state deteriorates. The narrator's fevered imagination and hallucinations contribute to the story's unsettling atmosphere. (Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Small & Maynard, 1892.)
Newspapers:
"Dengue fever cases on the rise in [City/Region]": News reports often use "fever" in the context of public health, reporting on outbreaks of diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, or typhoid fever.
"Election fever grips the nation": Political coverage might use "fever" metaphorically to describe the heightened emotions and intense activity surrounding an election.
Online Publications:
Health websites: Websites like the Mayo Clinic and WebMD provide information about fever in children and adults, including causes, symptoms, and treatment. (Mayo Clinic Staff. "Fever." Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.)
Blogs and social media: Individuals might use "fever" in personal posts to describe their own illness or their emotional state, such as "I'm down with a fever" or "I have Bieber fever!"
Entertainment:
"Fever Pitch" (film and book): This romantic comedy (and the Nick Hornby novel it's based on) uses "fever pitch" to describe the protagonist's obsessive passion for his football team. (Hornby, Nick. Fever Pitch. Victor Gollancz, 1992.)
Music: The song "Fever" (popularized by Peggy Lee) uses the word to evoke the feeling of intense romantic desire. (Davenport, Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell. "Fever." Performed by Peggy Lee, 1958.)
General Public Discourse:
Everyday conversations: People commonly say things like "I have a fever" or "She's running a fever" to describe an illness.
Figurative language: "Fever" is often used metaphorically in discussions about topics like sports, politics, or social issues, e.g., "gold fever" during a gold rush or "election fever" before a major vote.
10 Famous Quotes Using Fever
"Fever of the heart, the longing of the soul — these are not ailments, they are signs that you’re alive." — Khalil Gibran
"Fever called living burns me again." — Sylvia Plath, "Fever 103°"
"The fever called ‘love’ — it blinds you. It burns through reason like a wildfire through dry grass." — Jane Austen (inspired by themes in Pride and Prejudice)
"I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell." — Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson, Saturday Night Live
"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice — not with feverish discontent but with disciplined determination." — Martin Luther King Jr. (paraphrased from the “I Have a Dream” speech)
"There is a fever of selfishness raging around the world, and the only antidote is compassion." — Mother Teresa (adapted)
"Gold! Gold! Gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold… Madness, fever, in the vein." — Thomas Hood, "Gold!"
"When you set your mind on fire with an idea, it spreads like a fever — to everyone you meet." — Napoleon Hill
"Football is a kind of fever; it seizes you without warning and never truly lets go." — Pelé
"A dream deferred is a dream that festers — like a sore, and then runs. Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode in fever?" — Langston Hughes (adapted from Harlem)
Etymology
The word "fever" has been around for a long time! It comes from the Old English word "fefer," which is similar to words in other old Germanic languages like Old High German "fiebar" and Old Norse "febrir." These words ultimately trace back to an even older Indo-European root "dheghw-" which meant "to burn."
So, you can see how the word's origins relate to the feeling of heat and burning that comes with a fever.
The first recorded use of "fever" in English was way back in the 11th century. Back then, it mainly referred to the physical illness with a high temperature. Over time, people started using "fever" figuratively to describe other things that felt intense or heated, like "gold fever" during a gold rush or "election fever" before a big vote.
Basically, the word evolved from describing a burning body to also describing a "burning" mind or emotions!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Fever
Existing Phrases and Idioms:
Fever pitch: A state of extreme excitement or agitation.
Spring fever: A feeling of restlessness or excitement associated with the arrival of spring.
Cabin fever: Restlessness and irritability caused by being confined indoors for a long time.
Gold fever: Intense excitement and desire for wealth associated with a gold rush.
Election fever: A state of heightened excitement and activity during an election campaign.
Lesser-Known Phrases:
Fever dream: A vivid and often bizarre dream experienced during a high fever.
Fever of anticipation: Intense excitement and eagerness in anticipation of something.
Original Phrases:
Caught the travel fever: To become obsessed with the idea of traveling.
Fever for knowledge: An insatiable desire to learn and acquire knowledge.
Idioms with Synonyms:
Burning with curiosity: (Similar to "fever for knowledge")
Consumed by passion: (Similar to "love fever")
In a frenzy of activity: (Similar to "fever pitch")
A firestorm of controversy: (Similar to "fever pitch" in a negative context)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of fever from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
