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
Embarrassing Brighton for a third time this season by finishing above them would be a fantastic way to go from despondency after a rough start to delirium in May.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
When exposed to excessive heat for long periods, children can develop central nervous system (CNS) symptoms including seizures, delirium or coma; or non-CNS symptoms like tachycardia, tachypnea, vomiting or diarrhea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
While the original leaned hard into urgency and flirted with heaviness, the new take adds maximum peak hours heft, dialing up the BPM, isolating the vocals in just the right moments and eventually exploding into all-out, all-encompassing dancefloor delirium.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025
By the end, the film’s glittery delirium funnels into a meta-inquiry of cinephilia itself, and the gender politics that run through it.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delirium
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.
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
When exposed to excessive heat for long periods, children can develop central nervous system (CNS) symptoms including seizures, delirium or coma; or non-CNS symptoms like tachycardia, tachypnea, vomiting or diarrhea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
While the original leaned hard into urgency and flirted with heaviness, the new take adds maximum peak hours heft, dialing up the BPM, isolating the vocals in just the right moments and eventually exploding into all-out, all-encompassing dancefloor delirium.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025
By the end, the film’s glittery delirium funnels into a meta-inquiry of cinephilia itself, and the gender politics that run through it.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 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 29 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share