fever pitch

noun

: a state of intense excitement and agitation

Examples of fever pitch in a Sentence

I worked myself up to a fever pitch of enthusiasm. New allegations brought interest in the scandal to a fever pitch. Demand for the new car soon reached fever pitch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Griffith’s paranoia reached a fever pitch after a narrow brush with death in 1891. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026 Patek Philippe discontinued the steel model in 2021, just as demand reached fever pitch. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 That year, furor over the gender imbalance in the Nobels reached a fever pitch because of the feeling that Rosalind Lee, the collaborator and spouse of Victor Ambros, should have also been honored. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Around the time the outrage reached a fever pitch, however, the completion date was announced. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fever pitch

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fever pitch was in 1837

Rhymes for fever pitch

See All Rhymes for fever pitch

Browse Nearby Words

feverous
fever pitch
fever plant
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Cite this Entry

“Fever pitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fever%20pitch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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