hallucinate

American  

[huh-loo-suh-neyt] / həˈlu səˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

hallucinated, hallucinating

1. to see or hear things that do not exist outside the mind; have hallucinations.

   People who ingested this fungus often hallucinated, seeing colored lights or hearing voices.

2. Computers, Digital Technology. (of a machine learning program) to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.

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verb (used with object)

hallucinated, hallucinating

1. to see or hear (things that do not exist outside the mind); have hallucinations about.

   In dramatic moments, the character hallucinates a very funny animated bear.

2. Archaic. to affect with hallucinations.

hallucinate British  

/ həˈluːsɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to experience hallucinations

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Other Word Forms

• hallucinator noun
• nonhallucinated adjective
• unhallucinated adjective
• unhallucinating adjective

Etymology

Origin of hallucinate

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin hallūcinātus “wandered mentally” past participle of hallūcinārī, variant of (h)ālūcinārī “to dream, talk idly, wander mentally”

Example Sentences

"I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating?'"

From BBC

“They hallucinate and have trouble with reasoning,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Fix these, fix the gaping security holes and stop them “hallucinating,” or making up their own facts, and many more businesses and individuals will be willing to pay.

From The Wall Street Journal

It hallucinated that my actual finish was the same as the target finish time it originally predicted.

From The Wall Street Journal

What good is AI that analyzes financial data if it hallucinates numbers?

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• daydream
• fantasize
• freak out