adj
febrile
Febrile (adj) means having a fever, or an unusually high body temperature.
adj
1
Having a fever, or an unusually high body temperature.
2
Connected with fever, either as a cause of it or one of its signs.
3
Excited and restless, full of nervous energy.
"Out in the ground, meanwhile, it was particularly disappointing to hear former England captain Andrew Strauss put the febrile atmosphere down to “people who don’t normally come to Lord’s”."
— Marina Hyde, Who’s for political Bazball with Rishi? Voters? Tories? Anyone? (2023)
"Harry Potter has become such a febrile battleground that the pattern has already become well worn."
— Stuart Heritage, ‘Please walk away from Harry Potter’: why the stars of HBO’s new TV show are in for decades of social media hell (2025)
"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."
— Tom Fordyce, 2011 Rugby World Cup final: New Zealand 8-7 France (2011)
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Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin febrīlis, which comes from Latin febris (“fever”); by surface analysis, Latin febr- + -ile.
Related words
Rhymes for febrile
See all rhymes for febrile →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of febrile?
"febrile" (adj) means having a fever, or an unusually high body temperature.
What is another word for febrile?
Other words for "febrile" include hot, flushed, feverish, energetic, excited.
What is the opposite of febrile?
The opposite of "febrile" is afebrile.
What are the different meanings of febrile?
"febrile" has 3 main meanings: 1. Having a fever, or an unusually high body temperature; 2. Connected with fever, either as a cause of it or one of its signs; 3. Excited and restless, full of nervous energy.
