Spanish word

calentura

Pronunciation

IPA/kalenˈtuɾa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfever

Example

Tengo calentura desde ayer.

I've been running a fever since yesterday.

Illustration for calentura (fever)

More examples

El médico recomendó medidas para bajar la calentura.

The doctor recommended measures to lower the fever.

Core concept

Intense internal body heat with sweating and flushed skin.

Common phrases

  • bajar la calentura

    lower the fever

  • subir la calentura

    fever rising

Similar words

fiebre: Raised body temperature from illness or infection, usually with tiredness.
temperatura: Numeric measure of how hot or cold a body or environment is, recorded in degrees.

Definition in Spanish

Estado de fiebre o sensación intensa de calor corporal; en la jerga popular puede emplearse también para indicar excitación sexual.

Word origin

It derives from Spanish calentar "to heat" plus the suffix -ura and ultimately from Latin calēre "to be warm", naming a state of bodily heat.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech calentura often carries a sexual meaning as well as fever, so use fiebre in medical or formal contexts to avoid ambiguity.

Other meanings

  • arousalnoun

Opposites

  • hipotermiahypothermianoun
  • frialdadcoldnessnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word