Dictionary

delirium en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈlɪɹ.i.əm/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• dĭlĭʹrēəm
• /dɪˈlɪ.ɹi.əm/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *leys- Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂ Proto-Italic *loizā Latin līra Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin dēlīrō Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin dēlīriumbor. English delirium Borrowed from Latin dēlīrium (“derangement, madness”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A temporary mental state with a sudden onset, usually reversible, including symptoms of confusion, inability to concentrate, disorientation, anxiety, and sometimes hallucinations. Causes can include dehydration, drug intoxication, and severe infection.
   • the delirium of the preceding session (of Parliament) 1879, John Morley, Burke:
   • The evening wore away, and the long grass was silvery with dew; the consequence was what might have been expected,—next day, he was laid up with a violent cold; and the fever soon ran so high, that delirium came on; and before three days were past, his life hung upon a thread. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Return to Courtenaye Hall”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 149:
   • Better to decay in absolute delirium, than to be the victim of the methodical unreason of ill-bestowed love. 1826, [Mary Shelley], The Last Man. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:
   • The popular delirium [of the French Revolution] at first caught his enthusiastic mind. 1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], Tales of a Traveller, (please specify |part=1 to 4), Philadelphia, Pa.: H[enry] C[harles] Carey & I[saac] Lea, […], →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) Wild, frenzied excitement or ecstasy.

Forms

Deriveds

nocturnal delirium · deliriogen · orchidelirium · agitated delirium · excited delirium

Relateds

delirious · delirating · delirium tremens · deliration · delirament · delirate · deliry · delirant · delirement · deliriousness · deliring · deliriously · deliriate · delirousness · delire · delirifacient · deliracy · deliriant · delirancy · delirous

Translations (76)

hu delírium (mental state of confusion) · ko 섬망 (mental state of confusion) · sh делиријум (mental state of confusion) · cs delirium (mental state of confusion) · de Taumel (mental state of confusion) · tl deliryo (mental state of confusion) · uk делі́рій (mental state of confusion) · fi delirium (mental state of confusion) · gd bruaillean (mental state of confusion) · gd boile (mental state of confusion) · tr deliriyum (mental state of confusion) · pl delirka (mental state of confusion) · ru дели́рий (mental state of confusion) · ast deliriu (mental state of confusion) · la dēlīrium (mental state of confusion) · ru бред (mental state of confusion) · gu ચિત્તભ્રમણા (mental state of confusion) · eu zorabio (mental state of confusion) · pl delirium (mental state of confusion) · az deliriya (mental state of confusion) · fa دلیریوم (mental state of confusion) · sl delirij (mental state of confusion) · ja 譫妄 (mental state of confusion) · nl delier (mental state of confusion) · el ντελίριο (mental state of confusion) · hy ցնորք (mental state of confusion) · gl delirio (mental state of confusion) · uk бред (mental state of confusion) · mi mate kuawa (mental state of confusion) · sv delirium (mental state of confusion) · pdt Feebadroom (mental state of confusion) · gd mearan (mental state of confusion) · he דֶלִירְיוּם (mental state of confusion) · eo deliro (mental state of confusion) · is óráð (mental state of confusion) · el παραλήρημα (mental state of confusion) · pl majaczenie (mental state of confusion) · ga rámhaille (mental state of confusion) · kk сандырақ (mental state of confusion) · bg дели́риум (mental state of confusion) · mi kuawa (mental state of confusion) · cmn 神志昏迷 (mental state of confusion) · vi mê sảng (mental state of confusion) · sh delirijum (mental state of confusion) · nl delirium (mental state of confusion) · pt delírio (mental state of confusion) · nb delirium (mental state of confusion) · eu eldarnio (mental state of confusion) · es delirio (mental state of confusion) · mk делириум (mental state of confusion) · cmn 譫妄 /谵妄 (mental state of confusion) · mi kutukutuahi (mental state of confusion) · lv delīrijs (mental state of confusion) · ro delir (mental state of confusion) · bg бълну́ване (mental state of confusion) · tr sayıklama (mental state of confusion) · az sayıqlama (mental state of confusion) · gd breisleach (mental state of confusion) · mi ngutungutuahi (mental state of confusion) · fi sekavuus (mental state of confusion) · eu zoraldi (mental state of confusion) · de Fieberphantasie (mental state of confusion) · da delirium (mental state of confusion) · it delirio (mental state of confusion) · be брэд (mental state of confusion) · hy զառանցանք (mental state of confusion) · id delirium (mental state of confusion) · de Delirium (mental state of confusion) · ja せん妄 (mental state of confusion) · fi houretila (mental state of confusion) · ru горя́чка (mental state of confusion) · ca deliri (mental state of confusion) · ar هَذَيَان (mental state of confusion) · sq jerm (mental state of confusion) · sk delírium (mental state of confusion) · fr délire (mental state of confusion)