country fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, literary
Quick answer
What does “country fever” mean?
A strong desire or longing to live in or return to the countryside.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A strong desire or longing to live in or return to the countryside.
A nostalgic yearning for rural life, often contrasted with urban living; can also refer to a specific historical illness (typhus) in some contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in American English to describe rural nostalgia. In British English, 'countryside longing' or 'rural yearning' might be more typical.
Connotations
US: Often positive, romanticising simple life. UK: Can carry slightly archaic or literary overtones.
Frequency
Rare in both varieties, but slightly more attested in American sources.
Grammar
How to Use “country fever” in a Sentence
[Person] has country fever.[Person] is suffering from country fever.Country fever struck [person].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, possibly in cultural studies discussing urban-rural migration.
Everyday
Informal conversation about lifestyle preferences.
Technical
Historical/medical term for typhus in some archives.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “country fever”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “country fever”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “country fever”
- Using it to describe a fever caught in the countryside (use 'a fever from the country'). Confusing it with 'cabin fever' (restlessness from isolation).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In modern usage, no. It is a metaphorical expression. Historically, it was sometimes used as a name for typhus.
It is usually neutral or slightly positive, romanticising rural life. It could be used negatively to imply someone's desire is unrealistic or obsessive.
'Cabin fever' is restlessness from being confined indoors. 'Country fever' is a longing to be in a rural setting.
It is informal and somewhat literary. It would not be used in formal reports or academic writing (outside specific historical or cultural analysis).
A strong desire or longing to live in or return to the countryside.
Country fever: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkʌntri ˈfiːvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkʌntri ˈfiːvər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Green acres syndrome (US specific)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a thermometer showing high temperature, but instead of mercury, it's filled with images of fields and barns.
Conceptual Metaphor
DESIRE IS A DISEASE / NOSTALGIA IS A FEVER
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common modern meaning of 'country fever'?