delirar
“delirar” means “to be delirious” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to be delirious, to rave
Also: to hallucinate
📝 In Action
El paciente empezó a delirar por la fiebre alta.
B2The patient started to become delirious because of the high fever.
No le hagas caso, está delirando por el cansancio.
B1Don't pay attention to him; he's raving because of exhaustion.
Deliraba con dragones mientras dormía en la clínica.
C1He was hallucinating about dragons while sleeping in the clinic.
to be crazy about, to dote on
📝 In Action
Ella delira por ese cantante de ópera.
B1She is crazy about that opera singer.
Deliramos con la idea de mudarnos a la playa.
B2We are crazy about the idea of moving to the beach.
¡Estás delirando si crees que voy a prestarte más dinero!
B1You're dreaming/crazy if you think I'm going to lend you more money!
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: delirar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence uses 'delirar' in a medical context?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'delirare', which literally meant 'to go out of the furrow' (the line made by a plow in a field). It was used metaphorically to mean someone whose mind was 'off the tracks'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'delirar' the same as 'alucinar'?
Not exactly. 'Alucinar' means to see or hear things that aren't there (hallucinate). 'Delirar' is broader; it describes the state of talking nonsense or being mentally disconnected, which can include hallucinations but also just general confusion.
Is it a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the exact same pattern as 'hablar' or 'cantar'. No stem changes or weird endings to memorize.
Can I use 'delirar' for 'to delete'?
No. This is a common 'false friend' mistake for English speakers. To delete something, use 'borrar' or 'eliminar'.