Delirium of one person is called madness. Delirium of thousands of people is called religion.
Source: tatoeba (639262)
Delirium
/dɪˈlɪ.ɹi.əm/
Synonyms for "delirium" (129 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
abandonafebrile deliriumagnosiaapparitionardorblockblockingbrainchildbrainstormbubblecalenturechildbed feverchimeracontinued fevercrazedeliriousnessdelusiondelusion of persecutiondisorientation
Strong matches (39)
ecstasyeidolonenthusiasmeruptive feverfancyfantasquefantasyfebricityfebrilityfervorfeverfever heatfeverishnessfictionfigmentfigment of the imaginationfirefire and furyflight of ideasflush
Show 14 more words
frenzyfurorfurorefuryhallucinationhallucinosisheathectichectic feverhectic flushhyperpyrexiahyperthermiahysteriaidle fancy
Noun(5 words)
Related words (64)
illusionimageryimaginationimaginingincoherenceinsubstantial imageintermittent feverintoxicationinventionlingual deliriummadnessmaggotmake believemake-believemental blockmental confusionmythnihilismnihilistic delusionorgasm
Show 37 more words
orgyparalogiapassionphantasmphantomprotein feverpsychological blockpuerperal feverpyrexiaragerantingraptureravingravishmentrelapsing feverremittentremittent feverromancesick fancystretch of the imaginationtearing passionthick-coming fanciestowering ragetransporttripurethral fevervaccinal fevervaporvisionwanderingwater feverwhimwhimsywildest dreamwildest dreamswound feverzeal
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: frenzy, abandon, afebrile delirium, agnosia, apparition.
- Sentence evidence is available for delirium, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "delirium".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "delirium"
Keep "delirium" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "delirium" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "delirium", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "delirium" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesdisturbanceemotional statefoliemaniamanic disordermedical conditionmental disordermental disturbancemental stateneurological conditionpsychiatric syndromepsychological disorderpsychological state
More specific
2 entriesdelirium tremenshypoactive delirium
Collocations
5 entriesacute deliriumdelirium syndromedelirium tremenshypoactive deliriumpostoperative delirium
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
14 total sentences available.
We don't help racists promote their delirium caused by ignorance and stupidity.
Source: tatoeba (1339751)
There's a widespread delirium.
Source: tatoeba (2020131)
On the inquest it was shown that Buck Fanshaw, in the delirium of a wasting typhoid fever, had taken arsenic, shot himself through the body, cut his throat, and jumped out of a four-story window and broken his neck—and after due deliberation, the jury, sad and tearful, but with intelligence unblinded by its sorrow, brought in a verdict of death "by the visitation of God." What could the world do without juries?
Source: tatoeba (2092456)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "delirium"?
Closest matches include frenzy, abandon, afebrile delirium, agnosia, apparition.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "delirium"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.