delude

de·lude

verb \di-ˈlüd, dē-\

de·lud·edde·lud·ing

Definition of DELUDE

transitive verb

1

: to mislead the mind or judgment of : deceive, trick

2

obsolete a : frustrate, disappoint b : evade, elude

— de·lud·er noun

Examples of DELUDE

1. <we deluded ourselves into thinking that the ice cream wouldn't affect our diet>

Origin of DELUDE

Middle English, from Latin deludere, from de- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DELUDE

Synonyms: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

Antonyms: undeceive

Related Words: kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle

Near Antonyms: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; disclose, divulge, tell, unveil; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

[+]more[-]hide

See Synonym Discussion at deceive

Rhymes with DELUDE

allude, blood feud, collude, conclude, denude, elude, exclude, extrude, exude, fast-food, health food, include, intrude, junk food, obtrude, occlude, plant food, postlude, preclude, prelude, protrude, quaalude, seafood, seclude, subdued, transude, unglued