Basic Details
Word: Delirium
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A state of confused thinking and restless excitement, often caused by a high fever or illness; it can also mean wild excitement or joy.
Synonyms: frenzy, confusion, hysteria
Antonyms: calm, composure
How to Spell Delirium
Syllables: de - lir - i - um
Tricky part: The vowel after the l is i, not e: delirium, not delerium. A second i follows the r, so the letters run l-i-r-i.
Watch out for: delerium, delirum, dilirium
Memory tip: Two i's stand on either side of the r, like a feverish patient's eyes darting left and right: l-I-r-I.
Usage Examples
Example 1: High fever sent the old man into a delirium, and he kept calling for his brother.
Example 2: In his delirium the patient thought the nurse was his school teacher.
Example 3: The doctor said the delirium would pass once the fever came down.
Fun Fact
Delirium comes from the Latin delirare, made of de (off) and lira (a furrow), so it first meant to wander off the straight ploughed line.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. delirium 2. symtom 3. quarantene 4. epedemic
a) a confused, restless state, often caused by fever
b) a period of keeping someone apart to stop a disease spreading
c) a sign that shows someone is ill
d) a disease spreading quickly among many people in one area
Show answer
a) a confused, restless state, often caused by fever. The misspelt words are symptom, epidemic and quarantine; delirium alone is correct.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
deliriuum
a) i
b) m
c) r
d) u
Show answer
d) u. The ending is a single u before m: um.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
When the result was announced, the winning school's students ran onto the field in a mueldiri of joy.
a) delicious
b) delirium
c) delirious
d) helium
Show answer
b) delirium. The sentence needs a noun after a, and the jumble has no o or s, so it must be delirium.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A patient in delirium after a high fever might ____.
a) sleep calmly all night without waking
b) talk nonsense and not know where they are
c) read a newspaper quietly in bed
d) ask clearly for a glass of water
Show answer
b) talk nonsense and not know where they are
2. Which phrase uses delirium in its "wild excitement" sense?
a) fans in delirium after a last-ball six
b) a doctor treating delirium in hospital
c) medicines that cause delirium
d) a patient in delirium from malaria
Show answer
a) fans in delirium after a last-ball six
