noun
delirium
di-LEER-ee-um/dɪˈlɪriəm/
A disturbed state of acute mental confusion.
The nurse checks for delirium when the patient becomes confused.
Etymology
“Off the furrow” is a plowing metaphor for a mind straying from its course. The literal image became a description of raving or mental disorder, underlying the medical sense of a confused mental state.
In context
The surgeon found me in a state of raving delirium, with a broken arm and a compound fracture of the skull.
More examples
- A severe infection can cause delirium in older adults.
- During an episode of delirium, he did not recognize his daughter.
- Her delirium cleared as the treatment took effect.
Forms
delirium
delirious adjective — Experiencing severe mental confusion or disorientation.
Similar words
- confusion
- A broader term that need not describe an acute condition.
- disorientation
- Specifically involves losing awareness of place, time, or identity.