Phrase guide

hay fever

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An allergy to the pollen of grass or other plants that causes symptoms similar to those of a cold; pollinosis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: immunology, medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a seasonal rhinitis resulting from an allergic reaction to pollen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pollinosis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: allergic rhinitis

History

Etymology

First attested by John Bostock in 1819. The smell of hay in the summer was thought to be the origin of the condition.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: hooikoors — allergy to pollen
  • Basque: errinitis alergikoa — allergy to pollen
  • Bulgarian: сенна треска (senna treska) — allergy to pollen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 枯草熱 /枯草热 (kūcǎorè) — allergy to pollen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 花粉症 (huāfěnzhèng) — allergy to pollen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 花粉熱 /花粉热 (huāfěnrè) — allergy to pollen
  • Czech: senná rýma — allergy to pollen
  • Danish: høfeber — allergy to pollen
  • Dutch: hooikoorts — allergy to pollen
  • Esperanto: fojnokataro — allergy to pollen
  • Faroese: hoyfepur — allergy to pollen
  • Finnish: heinänuha — allergy to pollen
  • French: rhume des foins — allergy to pollen
  • German: Heuschnupfen — allergy to pollen
  • German: Pollenallergie — allergy to pollen
  • Hebrew: קדחת השחת (kadákhat hashákhat) — allergy to pollen
  • Hungarian: szénanátha — allergy to pollen
  • Icelandic: heymæði — allergy to pollen
  • Interlingua: febre del feno — allergy to pollen
  • Interlingua: pollinosis — allergy to pollen
  • Irish: slaghdán teaspaigh — allergy to pollen
  • Italian: raffreddore da fieno — allergy to pollen
  • Italian: febbre da fieno — allergy to pollen
  • Italian: pollinosi — allergy to pollen
  • Japanese: 花粉症 (kafunshō) — allergy to pollen
  • Latvian: siena drudzis — allergy to pollen
  • Māori: ihu pāwera — allergy to pollen
  • Norman: maladie du fain — allergy to pollen
  • Norwegian Bokmål: høysnue — allergy to pollen
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: høysnue — allergy to pollen
  • Polish: katar sienny — allergy to pollen
  • Polish: pyłkowica — allergy to pollen
  • Portuguese: febre de feno — allergy to pollen
  • Russian: сенна́я лихора́дка (sennája lixorádka) — allergy to pollen
  • Scottish Gaelic: am fiabhras-feòir — allergy to pollen
  • Spanish: fiebre del heno — allergy to pollen
  • Spanish: polinosis — allergy to pollen
  • Swedish: hösnuva — allergy to pollen
  • Thai: ไข้ละอองฟาง — allergy to pollen
  • Turkish: saman nezlesi — allergy to pollen
  • Ukrainian: поліно́з (polinóz) — allergy to pollen
  • Ukrainian: сінна́ гаря́чка (sinná harjáčka) — allergy to pollen
  • Welsh: clefyd y gwair — allergy to pollen