noun
delirium
dih-LIH-ree-uhm
noun
1
A sudden state of confusion, disorientation, and sometimes hallucination, often caused by illness, fever, or drugs.
"The patient slipped into delirium after a severe infection."
2
Wild, uncontrolled excitement.
"The crowd erupted into delirium as the final whistle blew."
How to Use Delirium
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA confused, disoriented mental state caused by illness, or (more loosely) wild excitement.
Common pairings
fall into delirium
feverish delirium
delirium of the crowd
Word Forms
deliriums plural, deliria plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “delirium”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The patient slipped into _____ after a severe infection.
Etymology
From Latin delirium, "madness" or "derangement," related to delirare, "to go off the furrow" — literally, to stray off track while plowing.