1
2
: any of several virus diseases marked especially by respiratory or intestinal symptoms
flu-like adjective

Examples of flu in a Sentence

He came down with a bad bout of the flu.
Recent Examples on the Web California condors still face threats, including habitat loss, lead poisoning, litter and emerging diseases, like the deadly avian flu. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024 This can give the user critical information about their oxygenation, alerting people when chronic breathing conditions (or even COVID or the flu) have affected their oxygen levels. Sarah Bradley, Health, 16 Apr. 2024 Of his 79 receptions for 731 yards and three touchdowns, the brunt came his rookie year (43-430-2), highlighted by his overcoming the flu in Chicago to produce 92 yards and six catches on six targets in Jimmy Garoppolo’s victorious starting debut. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024 The flu was last detected in Missouri birds on Feb. 23. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 People generally associate zoonotic diseases with rural settings, farms or the wilderness, said Florian Krammer, a flu expert at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York who led the study, which was published online last week. Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 From March 17 to March 23, flu numbers were up by 5.3% compared to the previous week — which showed numbers were up by 5%. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Apr. 2024 Before the program was implemented, fewer than 41% of the medical center’s patients had received the flu vaccine, and only 33% had finished their COVID-19 vaccine series. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024 One of these is clinically proven to prevent flu infections and lessen the severity of illness. Katie Suleta, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

by shortening

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flu was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near flu

Cite this Entry

“Flu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flu. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

flu

noun
1
2
: any of several virus diseases that are something like a cold
flu-like
ˈflü-ˌlīk
adjective

Medical Definition

flu

noun
1
2
: any of several chiefly viral illnesses marked especially by respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms see intestinal flu
flu-like adjective
also flulike
flu-like symptoms

More from Merriam-Webster on flu

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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