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
And every film nerd knows that the production’s depravity and delirium almost surpasses the film’s—Apocalypse Now’s Wikipedia page is as wild as the film itself.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The issue of an excited delirium diagnosis also came up during the trial of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
The momentum, and delirium, only lasted a couple of minutes, however, as Lake Creek’s Harper Montgomery headed in a loose ball in the goalkeepers box in the 74th minute to put the Lions back up 3-2.
—Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The issue of an excited delirium diagnosis also came up during the trial of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
The momentum, and delirium, only lasted a couple of minutes, however, as Lake Creek’s Harper Montgomery headed in a loose ball in the goalkeepers box in the 74th minute to put the Lions back up 3-2.
—Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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