Ague vs. Rigor — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 19, 2024
Ague refers to a fever with chills and sweating, often associated with malaria, while rigor (or rigor mortis) refers to the stiffness of muscles after death or severe chills during a high fever.
Difference Between Ague and Rigor
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Key Differences
Ague describes a condition characterized by fever, chills, and sweating, typically associated with diseases like malaria. It indicates a recurrent fever with paroxysms of chills, shivering, and sweating. Rigor, in a medical context, refers to severe chills with shivering, often accompanying a high fever. It can also refer to rigor mortis, the post-mortem stiffening of muscles.
Ague is an older term, historically used to describe febrile illnesses, particularly malaria. Patients experience cycles of intense cold, shivering, followed by fever and sweating. This term is less common in modern medical usage but remains relevant in historical and literary contexts.
Rigor describes the intense shivering and chills that occur during a high fever, often signaling the onset of a feverish episode in infections. It is a clinical sign indicating that the body's temperature regulation is severely disturbed. Rigor mortis, on the other hand, is a physiological process where muscles stiffen after death, starting a few hours post-mortem and lasting up to several days.
While ague is specific to the combination of fever and chills with a cyclical nature, rigor can refer to both the symptom of severe chills during illness and the post-mortem muscle stiffening.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Fever with chills and sweating
Severe chills with shivering; muscle stiffening after death
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Usage Context
Febrile illnesses like malaria
High fever episodes; post-mortem
Historical Relevance
Commonly used historically
Still used in modern medical terminology
Symptoms
Cyclical chills, fever, sweating
Intense shivering, chills
Examples
Ague episodes in malaria
Rigor during fever; rigor mortis post-death
Compare with Definitions
Ague
Cyclical nature of symptoms.
During the ague, she alternated between intense shivering and profuse sweating.
Rigor
Muscle stiffening after death (rigor mortis).
Rigor mortis set in a few hours after the patient passed away.
Ague
Associated with malaria.
He suffered from ague, experiencing recurrent bouts of fever and chills.
Rigor
Intense physical reaction to fever.
His body shook uncontrollably with rigor during the illness.
Ague
Historical term for febrile illnesses.
In old literature, characters often succumbed to ague.
Rigor
Medical sign of feverish chills.
Rigor was noted as part of the patient's febrile symptoms.
Ague
Fever with chills and sweating.
The patient was diagnosed with ague after returning from the tropics.
Rigor
Strictness or severity, as in action or judgment
"The desert fostered a closed world of faith and rigor and harsh judgment.
Ague
Periodic fever and chills.
The ague would strike every third day, leaving him weak and drenched in sweat.
Rigor
A harsh or trying circumstance; a hardship or difficulty
The rigors of working in a coal mine.
Ague
A febrile condition in which there are alternating periods of chills, fever, and sweating. Used chiefly in reference to the fevers associated with malaria.
Rigor
(Archaic) A harsh or severe act.
Ague
A chill or fit of shivering.
Rigor
Strictness in adhering to standards or a method; exactitude
"To study the brain with scientific rigor, behaviorists logically restricted their experiments to ones in which the brain was the source of measurable effects" (Robert Pollack).
Ague
(obsolete) An acute fever.
Rigor
A standard or exacting requirement, as of a field of study
The intellectual rigors of advanced mathematics.
Ague
(pathology) An intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold and hot fits.
Rigor
(Medicine) Shivering or trembling, as caused by a chill.
Ague
The cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever
Fever and ague
Rigor
(Physiology) A state of rigidity in living tissues or organs that prevents response to stimuli.
Ague
A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold.
Rigor
(Obsolete) Stiffness or rigidity.
Ague
(obsolete) Malaria.
Rigor
Alternative spelling of rigour
Ague
(transitive) To strike with an ague, or with a cold fit.
Rigor
(medicine) A feeling of cold with shivering accompanied by a rise in body temperature.
Ague
An acute fever.
Rigor
Rigidity; stiffness.
Ague
An intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold and hot fits.
Rigor
A sense of chilliness, with contraction of the skin; a convulsive shuddering or tremor, as in the chill preceding a fever.
Ague
The cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever; as, fever and ague.
Rigor
The becoming stiff or rigid; the state of being rigid; rigidity; stiffness; hardness.
The rest his lookBound with Gorgonian rigor not to move.
Ague
A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold.
Rigor
See 1st Rigor, 2.
Ague
To strike with an ague, or with a cold fit.
Rigor
Severity of climate or season; inclemency; as, the rigor of the storm; the rigors of winter.
Ague
A fit of shivering
Rigor
Stiffness of opinion or temper; rugged sternness; hardness; relentless severity; hard-heartedness; cruelty.
All his rigor is turned to grief and pity.
If I shall be condemn'dUpon surmises, . . . I tell you'T is rigor and not law.
Ague
Successive stages of chills and fever that is a symptom of malaria
Rigor
Exactness without allowance, deviation, or indulgence; strictness; as, the rigor of criticism; to execute a law with rigor; to enforce moral duties with rigor; - opposed to lenity.
Ague
A mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
Rigor
Severity of life; austerity; voluntary submission to pain, abstinence, or mortification.
The prince lived in this convent with all the rigor and austerity of a capuchin.
Rigor
Violence; force; fury.
Whose raging rigor neither steel nor brass could stay.
Rigor
Something hard to endure;
The asperity of northern winters
Rigor
The quality of being logically valid
Rigor
Excessive sternness;
Severity of character
The harshness of his punishment was inhuman
The rigors of boot camp
Rigor
Severe chills with shivering.
She experienced rigor as her fever spiked.
Rigor
Symptom of high fever.
The onset of rigor indicated a serious infection.
Common Curiosities
What is ague?
Ague is a condition characterized by fever, chills, and sweating, often associated with malaria.
What is rigor?
Rigor refers to severe chills with shivering during a high fever or the muscle stiffening after death (rigor mortis).
Is ague still a common medical term?
It is less common in modern medicine but used in historical and literary contexts.
How long does rigor mortis last?
It starts a few hours after death and can last up to several days.
What causes rigor during a fever?
Severe infection or illness causing high fever can lead to intense chills and shivering.
Is rigor a sign of a severe condition?
Yes, rigor during a fever can indicate a serious infection.
Can ague occur without malaria?
Yes, ague-like symptoms can occur in other febrile illnesses, but it is historically linked to malaria.
Does rigor mortis affect all muscles?
Yes, rigor mortis affects all skeletal muscles after death.
Is rigor mortis immediate?
No, it begins a few hours post-mortem.
Are ague and rigor related?
They can be related in the sense that both involve chills and fever, but rigor can also refer to post-mortem muscle stiffness.
Can ague be treated?
Yes, with appropriate medical intervention, especially antimalarial drugs for malaria-induced ague.
What are common symptoms of ague?
Recurrent chills, high fever, and sweating.
Can rigor be a temporary symptom?
Yes, rigor due to fever is temporary and subsides as the fever is managed.
Can ague recur?
Yes, especially in diseases like malaria with periodic symptoms.
How is rigor related to infection?
Rigor during a fever often signals the body's response to severe infection.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
