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delusion
/ dɪˈluːʒən; dɪˈluːsərɪ /
noun
- a mistaken or misleading opinion, idea, belief, etc
he has delusions of grandeur
- psychiatry a belief held in the face of evidence to the contrary, that is resistant to all reason See also illusion hallucination
- the act of deluding or state of being deluded
delusion
/ dĭ-lo̅o̅′zhən /
- A false belief or perception strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness, as in schizophrenia.
delusion
- A false belief held despite strong evidence against it; self-deception. Delusions are common in some forms of psychosis . Because of his delusions, the literary character Don Quixote attacks a windmill, thinking it is a giant.
Derived Forms
- deˈlusive, adjective
- delusory, adjective
- deˈlusiveness, noun
- deˈlusively, adverb
- deˈlusional, adjective
Other Words From
- de·lusion·al de·lusion·ary adjective
- prede·lusion noun
Word History and Origins
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Typical psychotic-like experiences include perceptual distortions and hallucinations, suspicious paranoid thinking, delusions and bizarre, unusual thoughts.
Too many of the people we call pundits looked at him and his ridiculous digital trading cards and saw the phantasmagorial grandiose delusions of someone with superpowers not to be taken seriously.
In a memorandum, Ray wrote: “Mr. Bankman-Fried continues to live a life of delusion. The ‘business’ he left on November 11, 2022 was neither solvent nor safe.”
The good news is a swipe left or the word "no" punctuated with a laugh will relieve them of this delusion.
This sense of play is key, allowing “Great Gold Bird” to delve heavily into the realities of living with prolonged grief — its delusions, its isolating nature and its fantastical hopes — without feeling overbearing.
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Related Words
More About Delusion
What is a delusion?
A delusion is a false belief or opinion, especially one held in resistance to strong evidence against it, as in Even after losing five straight championships, Heather still had the delusion that she was the best in the world.
In psychiatry, delusion is used to mean an unshakeable belief in something that isn’t true. They believe it because they have a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia.
More generally, delusion can be used to mean an act of deluding, as in The crowd didn’t fall for the swindler’s attempts at delusion.
Delusion can also refer to the state of being deluded, as in The emperor’s delusion was the work of the evil, scheming vizier.
Delusion is similar to the words illusion and hallucination, which also describe false beliefs or experiences. An illusion is a false image that is a result of a distortion or manipulation of actual things. For example, makeup can create the illusion that a person is younger than they actually are.
A hallucination is a false sensory experience that isn’t rooted in reality at all. On the other hand, a delusion is often somewhat based on reality but a person’s belief is inaccurate due to wrong information or their own hubris.
Example: Despite his low test scores, Gerard strongly believed the delusion that he was the smartest kid in the class.
Where does delusion come from?
The first records of the term delusion come from around 1375. It ultimately comes from the Latin dēlūdere, which means “to play false.”
When you have a delusion, you earnestly believe the false thing. If you don’t actually believe it, it’s not a delusion.
While psychiatric delusions are caused by mental disorders, general delusions are more often attributed to things like stubbornness, naiveté, or narcissism. Most of the time, we can admit we were wrong when someone shows us evidence that our belief is inaccurate. A person with delusions, however, will claim the evidence itself is wrong or fake, and it will take a tremendous amount of effort to convince them of the true reality, if they can be convinced at all.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to delusion?
- delusional (adjective)
- delusionary (adjective)
- predelusion (noun)
What are some synonyms for delusion?
What are some words that share a root or word element with delusion?
What are some words that often get used in discussing delusion?
What are some words delusion may be commonly confused with?
How is delusion used in real life?
In general, the word delusion is often used to harshly criticize a person’s opinion or beliefs.
One snake attack and now I'm nervous of rustling bushes. How dare they disrupt my delusions of invincibility?!
— Stefan L (@_Stefan88) October 15, 2009
Just thinking about how a lot of peoples idea of revenge is based on a delusion that others care about them one way or the other.
— Liz Harvey (@_lizharvey) June 21, 2019
An absolutely enormous number of smokers I encounter insist they are not addicted to nicotine, but instead have an “oral fixation.” How did this bizarre delusion become so widespread?
— @hamiltonmorris (@HamiltonMorris) March 12, 2018
Try using delusion!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of delusion?
A. fantasy
B. deception
C. reality
D. misconception
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