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
Synonyms
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
The reference again to excited delirium in connection with Mitchell’s death perhaps owes to the term’s decades-long use among US first responders.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024
The crowd that greeted Kamala Harris in a high-school gym outside Milwaukee last month was delighted to the point of delirium.
—Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2024
As the limited series crams in countless details, the audience must examine too much at once, creating a state of delirium rather than the pulsating tone of a nail-biter.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 July 2024
Its content is adults-only, but its heavy reliance on violence and nudity plays as trashy and exploitative, lacking the visceral punch of Scott’s film or the operatic delirium of the Starz series.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for delirium 
Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024
The crowd that greeted Kamala Harris in a high-school gym outside Milwaukee last month was delighted to the point of delirium.
—Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2024
As the limited series crams in countless details, the audience must examine too much at once, creating a state of delirium rather than the pulsating tone of a nail-biter.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 July 2024
Its content is adults-only, but its heavy reliance on violence and nudity plays as trashy and exploitative, lacking the visceral punch of Scott’s film or the operatic delirium of the Starz series.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for delirium
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delirium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
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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