febrile

It was in this febrile atmosphere that Carter made his move.

In some ways, it's reminiscent of the days in the lead-up to the Iraq war, with a quiet resignation taking the place of the febrile excitement that characterized the push to rally around the flag.

In a febrile atmosphere where Van de Zandschulp's missed first serves were cheered, the 29-year-old Dutchman deserved great credit for staying focused and seeing out an important victory for his nation.

Whitehall sources tell me this in part the fault of Downing Street which, they say, is increasingly gripped by caution after a febrile few weeks.

British nationals in Lebanon have no guarantee they will be able to leave quickly if the "febrile and fragile" situation deteriorates, the foreign secretary has said.