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delirio

deh-LEE-ryoh/deˈliɾjo/

“delirio” means “delirium” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

delirium

Also: hallucination, delusion
NounmB2
A person lying in bed with a feverish expression, seeing floating colorful swirls and bubbles in the air.

📝 In Action

La fiebre alta le provocó un estado de delirio.

B1

The high fever caused him to enter a state of delirium.

En su delirio, el paciente creía que estaba en su casa.

B2

In his delirium, the patient believed he was at home.

Sufre de un delirio de persecución y cree que lo siguen.

C1

He suffers from a delusion of persecution and thinks he's being followed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desvarío (raving/nonsense)
  • alucinación (hallucination)

Antonyms

  • lucidez (clarity/sanity)
  • cordura (sanity)

Common Collocations

  • delirio de grandeza – delusions of grandeur
  • entrar en delirio – to become delirious

nonsense, craze

Also: wild, madness
NounmB1informal
A whimsical scene where a fish is flying through the sky and a bird is swimming underwater.

📝 In Action

¡Esa fiesta fue un delirio total!

A2

That party was total madness!

Es un delirio pensar que podemos viajar mañana sin maletas.

B1

It's nonsense to think we can travel tomorrow without suitcases.

Su amor por ese cantante es un auténtico delirio.

B1

Her love for that singer is a real craze.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • realidad (reality)
  • sensatez (common sense)

Common Collocations

  • un delirio total – complete madness/awesome
  • ser un delirio – to be crazy/unbelievable

Idioms & Expressions

  • con un delirio – with extreme passion or intensity

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: delirio

Question 1 of 3

If someone has 'delirio de grandeza', what do they think?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
delirar(to rave/to be delirious) — Verb
delirante(delirious/insane) — Adjective
deliriosamente(deliriously) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
martirioliriocirio
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'delirium', which comes from 'delirare'. This literally meant 'to go out of the furrow' while plowing a field—in other words, to stray from the straight line of reason.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: deliriumFrench: délireItalian: delirio

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'delirio' always a bad thing?

Not necessarily. While the medical meaning is negative, in conversation, it can describe something 'crazy good' or an intense passion.

What is the difference between 'delirio' and 'alucinación'?

A 'delirio' is usually a false belief or thought, while an 'alucinación' involves seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren't there.

Can I use 'delirio' to mean 'a mistake'?

No, it's too strong. If you just made a simple error, use 'error' or 'equivocación'. 'Delirio' implies a loss of logic or reality.