Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day: "Febrile"

Episode Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Peter Sokolowski
Word: Febrile

Episode Overview

Today's episode explores the word "febrile"—a term rooted in medical language but also used figuratively to describe intense, fever-like atmospheres. Peter Sokolowski delves into its meaning, origin, and usage in both contemporary and historical contexts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Definition & Pronunciation

• Febrile (also pronounced febrile), spelled F-E-B-R-I-L-E, is an adjective.
• Primary Definition:
  • Marked or caused by fever; feverish.
• Extended Use:
  • Sometimes used figuratively to describe environments or moods that are intense or agitated.
  • Example: A febrile political climate.
  • [00:13]

2. Usage in Context

• Sample Sentence from The Guardian:
  • "Breathless and febrile, this is an utterly mesmeric account of how one man's crimes can affect an entire community."
  • [00:22]
• This demonstrates how "febrile" can be used to describe not just physical states but also emotional or social climates.

3. Etymology & History

• "Fever" has existed in English for about a thousand years.
• "Feverish" as an adjective dates to the 14th century.
• In the 17th century, medical writer Noah Biggs admonished physicians to properly care for their febrile patients, emphasizing the need for a term rooted in Latin.
• Origin:
  • From the Latin adjective febrilis, based on febris (meaning "fever”).
  • "Fever" also traces back to febris, but its Old English form had lost its Latin appearance by Biggs's time.
  • [00:32–01:06]

4. Modern Medical Usage

• Still current in medical terminology:
  • "Febrile seizures”
  • "Febrile phase of an illness"
  • [01:10]
• The word is more formal and often found in clinical or scientific contexts.

5. Figurative Application

• "Febrile" has expanded beyond the sickbed and is now used to describe anything that is feverish in intensity or emotional fervor, in line with the figurative use of "feverish."
• Examples include "a febrile atmosphere" or "febrile excitement."
• [01:10–01:20]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On figurative use:
  “It’s sometimes used figuratively, as in a febrile political climate.”
  — Peter Sokolowski [00:15]

• On vocabulary origins:
  “But that didn’t stop the 17th century medical reformer Noah Biggs from admonishing physicians to care for their febrile patients properly. Biggs apparently thought his medical writing required a word that clearly nodded to a Latin heritage and called upon the Latin adjective febrilis from febris, meaning fever.”
  — Peter Sokolowski [00:32–00:50]

• Sample from The Guardian:
  “Breathless and febrile, this is an utterly mesmeric account of how one man’s crimes can affect an entire community.”
  — [00:22, cited passage]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Definition & pronunciation: [00:05–00:15]
• Contextual sentence: [00:22]
• Etymology & historical usage: [00:32–01:06]
• Modern clinical usage & figurative application: [01:10–01:20]

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the concise, informative, and accessible tone typical of Merriam-Webster's daily episodes. Sokolowski seamlessly blends historical context with practical examples, catering to both language enthusiasts and casual listeners.

With your Word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay and trending word lookups.