delirium

/di'liriəm/

Thân thiện

A patient in a hospital bed experiences delirium.

Definition

Noun 1. A state of mental confusion and excitement: A usually temporary condition marked by incoherent speech, restlessness, and often hallucinations, typically caused by illness, intoxication, or fever. 2. A state of frenzied excitement or ecstasy: A wild, uncontrolled, and often enthusiastic state.

Usage and Examples

• The high fever caused delirium, and the patient began seeing things that weren't there.
• After the surgery, he experienced a brief period of delirium.
• (Figurative) The crowd was in a state of delirium after their team won the championship.

Advanced Usage

• "Delirium tremens": A specific, severe form of delirium caused by alcohol withdrawal, characterized by tremors, sweating, anxiety, and vivid hallucinations.
  • The chronic alcoholic was hospitalized suffering from delirium tremens.

Variants and Related Words

• Delirious (adjective): Experiencing or characteristic of delirium.
  • She was delirious with joy upon hearing the news.
• Deliriously (adverb): In a delirious manner.
  • The fans cheered deliriously.

Synonyms

• Confusion
• Frenzy
• Hysteria
• Hallucination
• Madness (in a non-clinical, figurative sense)

Antonyms

• Lucidity
• Sanity
• Composure
• Calmness

Idioms and Phrases

• To be in a delirium of [emotion]: To be in an uncontrollable state of a particular strong emotion.
  • The artist was in a delirium of creativity, painting through the night.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations
2. state of violent mental agitation

Từ đồng nghĩa

• craze
• frenzy
• fury
• hysteria