delirium
Americannoun
plural
deliriums, deliria-
Pathology. a more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in fevers, disturbances of consciousness, or intoxication, characterized by restlessness, excitement, delusions, hallucinations, etc.
-
a state of violent excitement or emotion.
noun
-
a state of excitement and mental confusion, often accompanied by hallucinations, caused by high fever, poisoning, brain injury, etc
-
violent excitement or emotion; frenzy
Other Word Forms
- deliriant adjective
- semidelirium noun
Etymology
Origin of delirium
1590–1600; < Latin dēlīrium frenzy, equivalent to dēlīr ( āre ) ( deliration ) + -ium -ium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You can salute Venezuela for a spirited and thrilling victory, and the Venezuelan fans for nine innings of joyful delirium.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Those who’ve managed to come out of this new kind of tech-enabled delirium have learned how vital it is to stay in touch with the natural world and their natural instincts.
From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026
But even in the delirium of meme-stock trading, Regencell is an outlier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
In pulling off this Houdiniesque act of escapology, Clarke's team produced the strange feat of stunning a stadium into delirium.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025
In my delirium, I imagined death in the form of a great bird with wings of fire and shadow.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
