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
The Panthers are 7-6 and have won all but one of their close games in 2025 — including Sunday’s 31-28 thriller — but still, there was a feeling of disbelief in the cold-and-wet-and-loud delirium consuming Uptown Charlotte.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Nov. 2025
In an overcrowded truck of migrant workers, Chandan develops a high fever and delirium.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
The music that pours forth, composed by the electronic artist Kangding Ray, is magnificently transporting, and the ravers surrender to the beat with glorious delirium.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
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
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Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Nov. 2025
In an overcrowded truck of migrant workers, Chandan develops a high fever and delirium.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
The music that pours forth, composed by the electronic artist Kangding Ray, is magnificently transporting, and the ravers surrender to the beat with glorious delirium.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 7 Dec. 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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