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
Explanation
Experiencing delirium? Then you're out of your mind and so excited you're hallucinating. Many things can cause delirium, including illness, high stress, and your team winning the World Series after 100 years of trying. Delirium means “madness” in Latin, and for good reason. Patients with high fevers or who suffer severe trauma might experience a state of delirium, full of mental confusion and maybe a little hysteria. And if you’ve ever stayed up all night writing a paper or working hard to meet some deadline, you’ve probably experienced moments of delirium, where you feel crazed and hallucinatory, fueled by sleep deprivation and too much coffee.
Vocabulary lists containing delirium
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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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
This talented Ivorian had a really good first season at Brighton, famously scoring at Ajax to send the travelling fans there into delirium.
From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025
I fought off the irrational worry that Denna might have wandered into the woods in a delirium, and that I should go look for her.
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.
