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.
She channels all of Nina’s prior faux delirium into a ferocious finale that raises the stakes tenfold.
From Salon
"Bright lights and lots of noise can make older patients very disorientated, which can actually turn into delirium. That in turn, slows the process of being able to get home."
From BBC
They spent the bowl season in a Las Vegas hotel, walking the Strip with a three-week old, in a new-parent-induced delirium, their whole lives having suddenly turned upside down.
From Los Angeles Times
Watching the video, I found myself enchanted, identifying with its sense of delirium and fun, which reminded me of the best parts of being young.
From Los Angeles Times
More stingingly, it captures the mental delirium of a small town — make that an entire planet — that hasn’t yet realized that there’s a second sickness seeping in through their smartphones.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
