1
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
we were delirious with anxiety when the boy failed to return home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
rushing about in a delirious state during the holidays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of delirious
Cookie Fleck, O’Hara’s character in Best in Show, is an outstanding example of her comedic sensibility—a meld of physical comedy, deadpan affect, and delirious self-confidence—whose influence is all over the mock-interview segments of, say, Parks and Recreation.
—
Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
By the game’s end, when Brentwood came back from an 11-point deficit to defeat rival Crossroads 70-60, the 6-foot-7 Hill was using all of his final energy to dance with the delirious student section that got loud and boisterous and helped inspire the Eagles’ rally.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
He is denied both the company of the living and the serenity of death, a lost, delirious soul who fails to anchor himself anywhere.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
These are the 2025 Bears, carrying their magic act into 2026 and starting their playoff story like this, with this kind of wild rally in front of a delirious and deserving home crowd.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delirious
Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
By the game’s end, when Brentwood came back from an 11-point deficit to defeat rival Crossroads 70-60, the 6-foot-7 Hill was using all of his final energy to dance with the delirious student section that got loud and boisterous and helped inspire the Eagles’ rally.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
He is denied both the company of the living and the serenity of death, a lost, delirious soul who fails to anchor himself anywhere.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
These are the 2025 Bears, carrying their magic act into 2026 and starting their playoff story like this, with this kind of wild rally in front of a delirious and deserving home crowd.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delirious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delirious
Adjective
-
In 2024, Ryan Gainer’s family called 911 for support when the 15-year-old became agitated.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
After a stint in jail and rehab, Marcee Gray lived with Colin and their three children in July and August 2024 and noticed their oldest, Colt Gray, then 14, was riddled with anxiety, easily agitated and had a panic attack.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Soon, though, the wall came alive—a colony of rustling and chirping, a frantic rodent argument.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Contact and frantic transitions With so little margin for error, much focus is on the transition sections where athletes switch out their equipment.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Glenn stepped in to hug her and shield her from prying cameras that had zoomed in on the distraught Sakamoto.—
Alice Park,
Time,
22 Feb. 2026
-
One clip included a distraught mother pleading with law enforcement after learning her daughter had been seriously hurt.—
Nakell Williams,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some still vividly recall the heavy, thick pall of smoke that drifted through the entire region, fed by furious wildfires to the east and north.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Both of these rabbis were already furious about the formation of the American Council for Judaism, an anti-Zionist organization that a group of German Jews, including Julian, had founded in 1942.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While the consequences of skipping routine medical care may not always be immediate, Muthyala said providers are worried about the downstream impact all of this will have on the health of the community.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Some were worried about not competing for championships because of being out of the WPIAL.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Get mad enough to change your mind.—
Dan Hyman,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
-
This study not only clarified the date of the burial, which drove archaeologists practically mad, as no one could determine why the dates kept coming back so broadly, but also settled the matter once and for all.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tharia’s Jane, meanwhile, is both vulnerable and volatile, sometimes letting slip a mass of frightened, warring impulses behind her still, steady gaze.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
While protesters may be frightened and grieving after last month's bloodbath, they're not mollified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The employee, a mother of two teen girls, warned about the filters and said the pressure on teen girls is intense.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delirious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delirious. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
