delirium
/dɪˈlɪrɪəm
/noun [mass noun]
1An acutely disturbed state of mind characterized by restlessness, illusions, and incoherence, occurring in intoxication, fever, and other disorders: somewhere a patient shouted in delirium she had fits of delirium...
- Schizophrenia is conventionally distinguished from the organic psychoses dementia and delirium by the absence of intellectual compromise.
- The use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, or anticholinesterase inhibitors for insomnia related to delirium or dementia is also unproved.
- Some affected people suffer mental disturbances such as delirium, hallucinations, and even psychotic behaviour.
Synonyms
derangement, dementia, dementedness, temporary madness/insanity;
incoherence, raving, irrationality, hysteria, wildness, feverishness, frenzy, hallucination
rare calenture
1.1Wild excitement or ecstasy: a chorus of delirium from the terrace...
- Not only did the win send the home fans into state of rapturous delirium, but the achievement relieved the team's coach, who had looked tense during the final.
- ‘The thrill, the mad delirium of being free is beyond description,’ he writes.
- There's a floodlit stage and electronic band of ‘gruperos’ in transports of salsa-invoked delirium.
Synonyms
ecstasy, rapture, transports, wild emotion, passion, wildness, excitement, frenzy, feverishness, fever;
euphoria, elation
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin, from delirare 'deviate, be deranged' (literally 'deviate from the furrow'), from de- 'away' + lira 'ridge between furrows'.
This is a Latin word adopted into English, from the verb delirare ‘deviate, be deranged’. The literal meaning is ‘deviate from the furrow’, from de- ‘away’ and lira ‘a ridge between furrows’.