delude

de·lude | \ di-ˈlüd

, dē- \

deluded; deluding

Definition of delude

1 : to mislead the mind or judgment of : deceive, trick … people he regards as deluded by the romantic idea that children somehow possess innate knowledge …— Andrew Delbanco … Hamilton apparently deluded himself, as the first Treasury secretary, into thinking his policies patriotic when their effect, Mr. Phillips says, was to put money into silken purses.— Michael Knox Beran

2 obsolete

a : frustrate, disappoint

b : evade, elude

Other Words from delude Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about delude

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Choose the Right Synonym for delude

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness. deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness. tried to deceive me about the cost mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional. I was misled by the confusing sign delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth. we were deluded into thinking we were safe beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving. was beguiled by false promises

Examples of delude in a Sentence

we deluded ourselves into thinking that the ice cream wouldn't affect our diet

Recent Examples on the Web Both Zink and Williams are aware of this problem — writers preoccupied not just with gap between intentions and reality, but the extent to which people are willing to delude themselves in order to avoid admitting to that gap. — Rebecca Mccarthy, Longreads, "Climate Messaging: A Case for Negativity," 29 Sep. 2019 In 2001, Scott and I were deluded enough to think the world was going to come to us. We were terrified and intimidated by the concept of booking a tour. — Louis Cheslaw, Condé Nast Traveler, "On Location: Where the Avett Brothers Record, Tour, and Recover," 18 Oct. 2019 That wouldn't be a problem, apart from that the film is itself as deluded as the clown at its center. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "What to Watch This Weekend In Theaters and On Demand, From ‘Joker’ to ‘Low Tide’," 4 Oct. 2019 That’s why members of the Royal Order of 21sters delude themselves. — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, "Soucheray: This year is different. All fears of winter are on hold," 21 Sep. 2019 That statement, which very likely caused puzzlement for all but the most deluded of Mets fans, might just turn out to be correct. — New York Times, "An Amazin’ Month for the Mets," 12 Aug. 2019 Some wrote her off as a mischievous prankster; others suggested she was deluded, struggling with mental illness. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, "Rosie Ruiz, who ‘won’ Boston Marathon but skipped most of the race, dies at 66," 7 Aug. 2019 Amid the turbulence of unemployment, stop-and-search laws and bigotry facing black youths in 1980s Britain, two former friends square off in the ring in the hope — perhaps deluded — that a sports title might offer a way out. — Philip Brandes, latimes.com, "Hollywood Fringe Festival kicks off three-week marathon of 400-plus shows," 14 June 2019 Each day is fragile and fleeting, but a few more days of its caliber and a fellow could be deluded into believing the world had achieved perfection. — Bulletin Board, Twin Cities, "Sunday Bulletin Board: What’s the most spectacular view you’ve seen since … well, since yesterday?," 4 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.