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
James sent the keeper the wrong way with a lovely penalty and sent the home fans into delirium.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Whether Lou Reed was indeed briefly swallowed by Porto’s great midsummer delirium or merely unable to fulfill his musical obligations, Saint John’s Eve 1980 will forever be remembered as the night Porto out-partied Lou Reed.
—Ana Leorne, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Such is the delirium of an NFL team starting to hit its stride at the right time.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
The high didn’t last long, as losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest turned delirium into depression for United fans.
—Alex Tabet, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Whether Lou Reed was indeed briefly swallowed by Porto’s great midsummer delirium or merely unable to fulfill his musical obligations, Saint John’s Eve 1980 will forever be remembered as the night Porto out-partied Lou Reed.
—Ana Leorne, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Such is the delirium of an NFL team starting to hit its stride at the right time.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
The high didn’t last long, as losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest turned delirium into depression for United fans.
—Alex Tabet, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 26 Feb. 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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