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
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
Machover’s score for 15 instruments is its own complex delirium.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Embarrassing Brighton for a third time this season by finishing above them would be a fantastic way to go from despondency after a rough start to delirium in May.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
When exposed to excessive heat for long periods, children can develop central nervous system (CNS) symptoms including seizures, delirium or coma; or non-CNS symptoms like tachycardia, tachypnea, vomiting or diarrhea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Machover’s score for 15 instruments is its own complex delirium.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Embarrassing Brighton for a third time this season by finishing above them would be a fantastic way to go from despondency after a rough start to delirium in May.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
When exposed to excessive heat for long periods, children can develop central nervous system (CNS) symptoms including seizures, delirium or coma; or non-CNS symptoms like tachycardia, tachypnea, vomiting or diarrhea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 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 3 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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