delirious

adjective

de·​lir·​i·​ous di-ˈlir-ē-əs 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of delirium

delirious mutterings

2

: affected with or marked by delirium

delirious with fever

delirious fans

deliriously adverb

deliriousness noun

Synonyms of delirious

• agitated
• distraught
• frantic
• worried
• frightened

Examples of delirious in a Sentence

As the child's temperature went up, he became delirious and didn't know where he was.

He was delirious with fever.

a group of delirious fans celebrating the team's victory

Recent Examples on the Web

Fireworks lit up the night sky, people honked horns on jampacked streets and firefighters — from their trucks — slapped high-fives with delirious fans. —Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

That much was clear to the thousands and thousands of fans who packed the streets outside of Madison Square Garden and throughout the five boroughs on Saturday night, celebrating in glorious, delirious bliss after the Knicks won Game 5 of the NBA Finals, 94-90, in San Antonio. —Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026

The Knicks then opened overtime with a 9-0 run as a delirious crowd in Madison Square Garden danced and screamed in the aisles. —CBS News, 19 May 2026

This is less a movie about two Midwestern women traveling to Florida than a delirious fever dream about two Midwestern women traveling to Florida. —ABC News, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

see delirium

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for delirious

• imperious
• mysterious
• deleterious
• nereus
• serious
• sirius

Kids Definition

delirious

adjective

de·​lir·​i·​ous di-ˈlir-ē-əs 

1

: affected with, marked by, or characteristic of delirium

2

: wildly excited

delirious fans

deliriously adverb

deliriousness noun

Medical Definition

delirious

adjective

de·​lir·​i·​ous di-ˈlir-ē-əs 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of delirium

2

: affected with or marked by delirium

deliriously adverb