delirium
noun
de·lir·i·um
di-ˈlir-ē-əm 
1
: an acute (see acute sense 1a(2)) mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations
2
: frenzied excitement
he would stride about his room in a delirium of joy—
Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfea crowd in a state of delirium
Examples of delirium in a Sentence
In her delirium, nothing she said made any sense.
shoppers running around in a delirium the day before Christmas
Recent Examples on the Web
This can lead to heat exhaustion, which has symptoms such as weakness, dizziness and headaches and, in extreme cases, heat stroke—which can then trigger delirium and loss of consciousness.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 2 June 2025
And 19-year-old Tom Watson completed Sunderland’s unlikely comeback deep into injury-time, propelling one of English soccer’s most historic clubs back into the Premier League for the first time since 2017 and sending its fans inside Wembley Stadium into delirium.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
This unusual encounter throws the young man into a dizzying delirium, disrupting his blossoming romance with Rita.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
Laurie Whitwell has captured the delirium of their run (and reminded me of the relevance of Haji Wright’s toenail).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 2 June 2025
And 19-year-old Tom Watson completed Sunderland’s unlikely comeback deep into injury-time, propelling one of English soccer’s most historic clubs back into the Premier League for the first time since 2017 and sending its fans inside Wembley Stadium into delirium.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
This unusual encounter throws the young man into a dizzying delirium, disrupting his blossoming romance with Rita.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
Laurie Whitwell has captured the delirium of their run (and reminded me of the relevance of Haji Wright’s toenail).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
delirium
noun
de·lir·i·um
di-ˈlir-ē-əm
1
: a mental disturbance marked by confusion, disturbed speech, and hallucinations
2
: wild excitement
Medical Definition
delirium
noun
de·lir·i·um
di-ˈlir-ē-əm
: an acute (see acute sense 2b(1)) mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations
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