French Conversation · Level 118
59 words
French word
délirer
Pronunciation
IPA/deliʁe/
Meaning
- verbtalk nonsense
Example
Tu délires, sérieux ?
Are you talking nonsense, seriously?
More examples
Arrête de délirer, ce n'est pas drôle.
Stop fooling around, it's not funny.
Core concept
A speaker lets wildly exaggerated or impossible ideas spill out, provoking disbelief, laughter, or shock.
Common phrases
arrêter de délirer
stop fooling around
se mettre à délirer
start fooling around
commencer à délirer
begin fooling around
Similar words
déconner: To joke around by saying or doing foolish things.
rêver: To think or speak about things far removed from reality.
blaguer: To tell jokes to make people laugh.
Definition in French
Exprimer par des paroles ou des gestes des idées exagérées, absurdes ou incroyables, souvent pour choquer, faire rire ou montrer son incrédulité.
Word origin
French délirer comes from Latin delirare, originally meaning to leave the proper track and then to lose mental clarity.
Usage tips
- In informal speech, Tu délires means that the speaker thinks the other person's claim is absurd or unbelievable, often with a playful tone.