Febrile

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈfiːbraɪl/

Origin

From Late Latin febrilis, from Latin febris ‘fever’.

Full definition of febrile

Adjective

1. Feverish, or having a high temperature.
• 1983, , Isaac Asimov, The Robots of Dawn Chapter 22, Aurora's orange sun (Baley scarcely noted the orange tinge now) was mildly warm on his back, lacking the febrile heat that Earth's sun had in summer (but, then, what was the climate and season on this portion of Aurora right now?).
2. Full of nervous energy.
• 2011, October 23, Tom Fordyce, 2011 Rugby World Cup final: New Zealand 8-7 France, An already febrile atmosphere within the ground before the start had been stoked still further when France's players formed an arrow formation to face down the haka, and then advanced slowly over halfway as the capacity crowd roared.

Synonyms

• feverish: flushed, hot
• full of energy: energetic, excited

Related terms

• febrility
• subfebrile