delusional

[ dih-loo-zhuh-nl ]

adjective

1. having false or unrealistic beliefs or opinions:

   Senators who think they will get agreement on a comprehensive tax bill are delusional.

2. Psychiatry. maintaining fixed false beliefs even when confronted with facts, usually as a result of mental illness:

   He was so delusional and paranoid that he thought everybody was conspiring against him.

Word History and Origins

Origin of delusional¹

First recorded in 1850–60; delusion ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

His unlikely journey has shaped a worldview he describes as “delusionally optimistic — or maybe optimistically delusional.”

From Los Angeles Times

But, of course, it's only in the delusional alternative universe where Republicans live that the "status quo" is a space where victims of sexual violence typically see justice.

From Salon

“With a shrewd mix of delusional paranoia and dubious anti-aging nutrition hacks, they strive to make life both scarier and longer for everyone, a commendable goal. They are a true unicorn, capable of simultaneously inspiring public support for billionaires and stoking outrage at an inept federal state that can assassinate JFK but can’t even put a man on the moon.”

From Los Angeles Times

Describing himself as “young, aspirational and delusional”, Stephens said he would discourage anyone from reaching the same heights without a support system in place.

From BBC

Trump mostly ignored the intricate conspiracy-tracing in favor of sweeping claims about hordes of criminals and mental patients being shipped to the U.S., and delusional narratives about "the late, great Hannibal Lecter."

From Salon

Related Words

• unrealistic