DELIRIOUS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does delirious mean? 

• DELIRIOUS (adjective)
  The adjective DELIRIOUS has 2 senses:

1. experiencing delirium

2. marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion

  Familiarity information: DELIRIOUS used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DELIRIOUS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Experiencing delirium

Synonyms:

delirious; hallucinating

Similar:

ill; sick (affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function)

Derivation:

delirium (state of violent mental agitation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion

Synonyms:

delirious; excited; frantic; mad; unrestrained

Context example:

a mad whirl of pleasure

Similar:

wild (marked by extreme lack of restraint or control)

Derivation:

delirium (state of violent mental agitation)

 Context examples 

I fancy that the poor fellow murmured some incoherent delirious words, and that she twisted them into this meaningless message.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Miss Temple was not to be seen: I knew afterwards that she had been called to a delirious patient in the fever-room.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

To tell the truth, my desire to fetch a doctor had somewhat weakened, for poor Holmes was so obviously delirious that it seemed dangerous to leave him.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I thought that he was delirious.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I believe I had a delirious idea of seizing the red-hot poker out of the fire, and running him through with it.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

For two days Rachel Howells had been so ill, sometimes delirious, sometimes hysterical, that a nurse had been employed to sit up with her at night.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You will convey the very impression which is in your own mind—a dying man—a dying and delirious man.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A man dying from a sudden blow does not commonly become delirious.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She continued either delirious or lethargic; and the doctor forbade everything which could painfully excite her.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then in an instant his sudden access of strength departed, and his masterful, purposeful talk droned away into the low, vague murmurings of a semi-delirious man.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)