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
Grainier falls for Gladys hard, and their subsequent relationship passes by in a delirium of broad strokes, unfolding moment by moment — throughout the film, time seems to exist outside the frame, which is usually tight and very intimately focused.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
Drums, dancing, delirium—and a sense of discovery that, for my money, was far more valuable than gold.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Not even modern Pride parades enliven cities with as much glittering delirium as that triumphant procession.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Bichette bludgeoned it for a three-run home run, bringing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts from the dugout to remove Ohtani amid delirium.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
Drums, dancing, delirium—and a sense of discovery that, for my money, was far more valuable than gold.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Not even modern Pride parades enliven cities with as much glittering delirium as that triumphant procession.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Bichette bludgeoned it for a three-run home run, bringing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts from the dugout to remove Ohtani amid delirium.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 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 17 Nov. 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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