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cabin fever

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cabin fever

1. Acute anxiety, restlessness, irritability and/or depression from remaining for too long in an unstimulating and isolated or remote environment, either by oneself or with others (especially when in cramped conditions). We thought taking our family vacation in a tiny cottage out in the country would be a nice break from city life, but we all had pretty bad cabin fever after a few days.

2. Any feeling of boredom or restlessness from being in one place and/or by oneself for too long. I decided to stay home on Friday night, but after a few hours by myself, I started getting cabin fever.

See also: fever

cabin fever

Distress or anxiety caused by prolonged confinement in a small or remote place, as in We've been snowed in for a week and everyone has cabin fever. Originating in the West, this term at first alluded to being penned up in a remote cabin during a long winter but has since been applied more broadly. [Late 1800s]

See also: fever