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Glite Dictionary
full-blown flu

full-blown flu

3.0
A serious illness with high fever, cough and strong body aches
  • noun
  • /fʊl bloʊn flu/
translation icon : gripe severa
  • After a few days of sore throat and sniffles, she realized she had full-blown flu.

Examples

  • Missing the meeting was inevitable once the full-blown flu set in.

  • The doctor confirmed that his symptoms indicated a case of full-blown flu.

  • She caught a full-blown flu last winter.

  • I don't want to get full-blown flu this season!

  • The doctor confirmed that she had a case of full-blown flu after experiencing high fever and severe fatigue.

  • With a full-blown flu, he stayed in bed for days, struggling to breathe and unable to eat.

  • When she finally caught a full-blown flu, it was harder to get out of bed than she anticipated.

Synonyms

flu
vsfull-blown flu
354 1.0

A common contagious illness that causes fever, aches, and coughs

is the fully severe form showing all major symptoms
influenza
vsfull-blown flu
  • Specialized
50 3.3

A contagious illness caused by a virus that gives fever, body aches, and cough

is the fully severe form showing all major symptoms

How Severe

full-blown flu
3.0
flu
354 1.0
cold
171 1.0
mild
107 1.0

Surface Forms

full-blown flu singular
full-blown flus plural

Morphology

full-blown + flu

The phrase combines 'full' (completely) with 'flu' and an adjectival compound 'full-blown' meaning fully developed, so the idea of a severe, fully developed case of influenza is largely inferable from the parts. However, 'blown' here is metaphorical (the compound is lexicalized) and that specific use may not be immediately predictable to an average B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrase full-blown flu comes from the picture of a flower that is fully open, because full and blown together once meant fully opened or fully grown. So full-blown flu means an illness that is 'fully developed' and often 'severe'.