delirium
/dɪˈlɪɹ.i.əm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.96 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The popular delirium [of the French Revolution] at first caught his enthusiastic mind."
- "Better to decay in absolute delirium, than to be the victim of the methodical unreason of ill-bestowed love."
- "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."
- "the delirium of the preceding session (of Parliament)"
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”).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɪˈlɪɹ.i.əm/
- British English: /dɪˈlɪ.ɹi.əm/