grippe

grippe — noun

1. an old-fashioned word for a contagious illness that causes fever, a bad cough, a

1.nounC1
Definition

an old-fashioned word for a contagious illness that causes fever, a bad cough, and body aches — the same disease that people now call 'flu' or 'influenza'

Example

Grandma caught the grippe in the winter of 1947, when the whole village fell ill.

old-fashioned term used in a historical setting

Old hospital records show that many soldiers died of the grippe during the 1918 pandemic.

frequently paired with 'die of' in historical contexts

Common collocations
  • die of the grippe
  • catch the grippe
  • an attack of the grippe
  • suffer from the grippe
Synonyms
  • flu

    the modern everyday term for the same illness, in common use since the mid-20th century

  • influenza

    the formal medical name, still used in clinical and official contexts

Grammar Patterns

the + grippe

Usage Note

This word is no longer used in everyday modern English. Speakers today say 'flu' or 'influenza' instead. You may still see 'grippe' in historical documents, old letters, or literature from before the 1950s.

Common Mistakes

I have a bad case of the grippe.
I have a bad case of the flu.
'grippe' sounds very old-fashioned; modern English almost always uses 'flu'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three describe respiratory illnesses, but they differ in currency and severity. 'grippe' is an old-fashioned word rarely used today; you will find it mainly in historical writing and older fiction. 'flu' (short for influenza) is the standard modern word for the same contagious viral illness with fever, aches, and fatigue. 'influenza' is the formal medical term used in official reports and clinical settings. A 'cold' is a milder illness with a runny nose and sore throat but usually no fever. For example, an old letter might say 'The grippe kept me in bed for a week,' while a modern doctor would say 'You have the flu.'

flu ↗influenza ↗cold ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the grippe

Phrases

  • an attack of the grippe
  • a case of the grippe

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French 'grippe', meaning a sudden seizure or attack. The word entered English in the late 1700s and became the common name for influenza until the mid-1900s, when 'flu' took over as the everyday term.