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 duo bounds alongside an inspired OJ Da Juiceman flip, spitting with delirium about putting their men in Lululemon, letting the Draco sing with reckless abandon, and throwing it in dudes’ faces without a second thought.
—Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Pynchon’s early 70s Los Angeles (half hallucination, half real estate scam) is both paradise lost and an early symptom of the delirium to come.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Collingwood slipped into a febrile delirium while the villainous Stubbs assumed command.
—Hamilton Cain, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
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
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Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Pynchon’s early 70s Los Angeles (half hallucination, half real estate scam) is both paradise lost and an early symptom of the delirium to come.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Collingwood slipped into a febrile delirium while the villainous Stubbs assumed command.
—Hamilton Cain, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for delirium
Cite this Entry
“Delirium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delirium. Accessed 12 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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