delirious

adjective

de·​lir·​i·​ous di-ˈlir-ē-əs How to pronounce delirious (audio)
Synonyms of deliriousnext
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Becky is dehydrated and delirious, but manages to nourish herself after strangling and eating a vulture that attacked her on the platform. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Some 20,000 delirious, singing spectators with flags of every sort in various states of inebriation had gotten their money’s worth, and then some. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026 This sets off what looks to be a delirious search across Ireland and beyond to solve the mystery of her whereabouts. David Faris, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026 Saltburn was a collection of delirious imagery that featured some incoherent aspirations toward class commentary. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delirious

Word History

Etymology

see delirium

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of delirious was in 1599

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Delirious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirious. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

delirious

adjective
de·​lir·​i·​ous di-ˈlir-ē-əs How to pronounce delirious (audio)
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 How to pronounce delirious (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of delirium
2
: affected with or marked by delirium
deliriously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on delirious

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