Calvin had become a chronic sufferer from ague and catarrh.
Source: tatoeba (8328995)
Ague
/ˈeɪ.ɡju/
Synonyms for "ague" (229 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (46)
abscessacute articular rheumatismafrican lethargyalkali diseaseamebiasisamebic dysenteryanemiaankylosisanoxiaanthraxapneaasiatic choleraasphyxiationasthmaataxiaatrophybacillary dysenterybackachebastard measlesblack death
Show 25 more words
black feverblackwater feverbleedingblennorheabreakbone feverbrucellosisbubonic plaguebumpinesscachectic fevercachexiacachexycerebral rheumatismchagres feverchatteringchicken poxchillchillscholerachoreacoldcold shiverscolicconstipationconvulsioncoughing
Noun(1 words)
chills and fever
Strong matches (69)
cowpoxcyanosisdandy feverdeer fly feverdenguedengue feverdiarrheadiphtheriadizzinessdropsydumdum feverdysenterydyspepsiadyspneaedemaelephantiasisemaciationencephalitis lethargicaenteric fevererysipelas
Show 46 more words
faintingfamine feverfatiguefeverfibrillationfits and startsfive-day feverflufluxframbesiagerman measlesglandular fevergrippegrowthhansenosishaverhill feverhemorrhagehepatitisherpesherpes simplexherpes zosterhigh blood pressurehistoplasmosishookwormhydrophobiahydropshypertensionhypotensionicterusindigestioninfantile paralysisinfectious mononucleosisinflammationinflammatory rheumatisminfluenzainsomniaitchingjactationjactitationjail feverjaundicejerkinessjoltinessjungle rotkala azarkissing disease
Related words (114)
labored breathinglepraleprosyleptospirosisloa loaloaiasislockjawlow blood pressurelumbagomadnessmalariamalarial fevermarasmusmarsh fevermeaslesmeningitismilzbrandmumpsnasal dischargenausea
Show 91 more words
necrosisornithosisosteomyelitispainpalsyparalysisparatyphoid feverparotitisparrot feverpertussispneumoniapoliopoliomyelitispolyarthritis rheumatismponosprurituspsittacosisquakingquaveringquiveringrabbit feverrabiesrashrat-bite feverrelapsing feverrheumrheumatic feverrickettsialpoxringwormrubellarubeolascarlatinascarlet feverschistosomiasissclerosisseizureseptic sore throatshakesshakingshinglesshiveringshiversshockshudderingskin eruptionsleeping sicknesssleepy sicknesssmallpoxsnail feversneezingsorespasmspasmssplenic feverspotted feverstrep throatsuccussionswamp fevertabestachycardiatetanusthrushtineatremblingtremulousnesstrench fevertrench mouthtuberculosistularemiatumortyphoidtyphoid fevertyphustyphus feverundulant feverupset stomachvacciniavaricellavariolavenereal diseasevertigovibrationviral dysenteryvomitingwastingwhooping coughyawsyellow feveryellow jackzonazoster
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abscess, acute articular rheumatism, african lethargy, alkali disease, amebiasis.
- Sentence evidence is available for ague, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, derived_reverse, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ague".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ague"
Keep "ague" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ague" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ague", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ague" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
5 entriesheated controversymalarial feverparoxysmal feverpublic furorshivering fever
Collocations
6 entriesague feverague patientague pillsague remedyague seasonmalarial ague
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
8 total sentences available.
He had to capture some character and get out of that rest room before his ague got so bad that the sergeant had to carry him to and from the booth every day.
Source: wiktionary
He shivered all the while, so violently, that it was quite as much as he could do to keep the neck of the bottle between his teeth, without biting it off. “I think you have got the ague,” said I. “I’m much of your opinion, boy,” said he. “It’s bad about here,” I told him. “You’ve been lying out on the meshes, and they’re dreadful aguish. Rheumatic too.”
Source: wiktionary
Ague and lake fever had attacked our new settlement. The men in the shanty were all down with it, and my husband was confined to his bed on each alternate day, unable to raise hand or foot, and raving in the delirium of the fever.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 8 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ague"?
Closest matches include abscess, acute articular rheumatism, african lethargy, alkali disease, amebiasis.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ague"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.