: deluding or serving to delude oneself especially concerning one's true nature, abilities, feelings, etc.
Anyone who claims the ability to sort out the intricacies of a marriage, even their own, is self-deluding.—Fred Dickey
his self-deluding arrogance

Examples of self-deluding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All of them eventually ran afoul of their Dear Leader, just like the self-deluding Seneca in Schwentke’s movie. — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-deluding was in 1631

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Cite this Entry

“Self-deluding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deluding. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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