delirium
/dɪˈlɪriəm/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈlɪriəm/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈlir-ē-əm/ (ame, mw)
delirium — noun
1. a temporary medical condition in which a person has confused thoughts, cannot sp
a temporary medical condition in which a person has confused thoughts, cannot speak clearly, and may see or hear things that are not real, usually caused by a high fever, a serious illness, or the effects of drugs or alcohol
Zayd's fever was so high that he slipped into delirium, talking to people who were not in the room.
slipped into delirium — verb + preposition pattern for onset
The elderly patient was in delirium for two days after her surgery, unable to recognize her own daughter.
in delirium — prepositional phrase describing current state
Hao's delirium made him shout at invisible people while nurses tied his hands to the hospital bed.
Nurses checked on Samir every hour during the night, watching for signs of fever and delirium.
It took several days for Sofie to recover from the delirium brought on by the brain infection.
- feverishness
more general; refers to the physical symptom rather than the full mental state
- hallucination
focuses only on seeing/hearing unreal things, not the broader confusion state
- disorientation
a milder symptom; delirium includes disorientation plus other features
- lucidity
the state of being clear-minded and able to think normally
文法句型
delirium (caused by/from [cause])
in delirium
delirium + of + [cause]
用法筆記
In medical use, delirium is a specific clinical diagnosis (DSM-5), not simply confusion or disorientation. Distinguish from sense 1 (MEDICAL CONFUSION) versus sense 2 (WILD EXCITEMENT) by context: the medical sense is always associated with illness, drugs, or physiological causes.
常見錯誤
2. a feeling of wild excitement, extreme happiness, or intense emotional energy tha
a feeling of wild excitement, extreme happiness, or intense emotional energy that takes hold of a person, especially during a celebration, a thrilling event, or a moment of great success
The crowd was in a delirium of excitement when Madison scored the winning goal in the final minute.
in a delirium of [emotion] — prepositional pattern for figurative sense
Ryo experienced a brief delirium of joy when he heard that his music album had reached number one.
delirium of joy — common noun + of + emotion collocation
Anong's wedding day passed in a happy delirium, with music, dancing, and laughter filling every moment.
The stadium erupted into pure delirium after the team won its first championship in thirty years.
Ife was swept up in the delirium of a crowd that sang every word back to the band.
- calm
a state of quietness and emotional control
文法句型
delirium of [emotion/noun]
in a delirium of [emotion]
用法筆記
When used figuratively, delirium is always an extreme state — it would not describe mild enjoyment or ordinary happiness. Subject is typically a person or a crowd; the emotion is specified with 'of' (e.g., 'delirium of joy').