cabin fever

noun

: extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time

Examples of cabin fever in a Sentence

She suffered from cabin fever during the long winter. a bad case of cabin fever
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.
Needless to say, cabin fever brings on their demise . Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026 Seeing a large patch of them in full flower can be a cure for cabin fever. Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026 The lightkeepers of yore almost went mad from cabin fever and constant foghorns. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025 As cabin fever and the summer heat set in, Jeff starts to suspect one man in his sights has murdered his wife. Nathan Smith, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cabin fever

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cabin fever was in 1918

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cabin fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabin%20fever. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!