Synonym Chooser

How does the noun delusion contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of delusion are hallucination, illusion, and mirage. While all these words mean "something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal," delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

When can hallucination be used instead of delusion?

While in some cases nearly identical to delusion, hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

Where would illusion be a reasonable alternative to delusion?

The synonyms illusion and delusion are sometimes interchangeable, but illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

When is it sensible to use mirage instead of delusion?

The words mirage and delusion can be used in similar contexts, but mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of delusion And that delusion puts him at odds with the last character, Jeff, played by Ramy Youssef. Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 28 May 2025 Valerie often allowed her vanity and delusion to stand in her way, but also has a certain purity in her desire for mainstream success; viewers on the show’s wavelength might alternately cringe, laugh and feel deeply for her over the course of just a few minutes. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 5 June 2025 Although she was never formally diagnosed, E.A. believes Lewes may have experienced bipolar disorder, marked by episodes of extreme paranoia and delusions, which became more frequent as time went on. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 5 June 2025 With Franzen-esque fastidiousness, Choi unpacks each character’s backstory, exposing vanities and delusions in a cool, caustic voice, a 21st century Émile Zola. Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for delusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusion
Noun
  • And if anyone was naive enough to imagine the U.S.-led tournament in 2026 would be free of such political baggage, then surely the increasingly public proximity of the Trump-Infantino relationship has dispelled those illusions.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • The entire spectacle is, of course, a line-of-sight illusion — all three objects extremely far from each other.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • When the photographer Víctor Zea was a child living in Lima, Peru, he was taught an Inca myth of origin.
    Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
  • Getting up to speed on the modern-day reality of actual EV usage and charging habits proves to be the antidote to overcoming the ever-fading yet persistent myth of range anxiety.
    Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Being from New York, it’s always been a dream of mine to play professionally here.
    Jenn Nelson, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • There are still a handful of dream sequences and surreal interludes that seem to want to underscore the show’s deep psychological curiosity, and its unwillingness to be an easy watch.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • With very little margin for error, any misstep could lead to a steep correction.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • More often than not, that will allow for more room for error in an attempt to develop him on the practice squad.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • The Old Guard 2 — a sequel to the Charlize Theron fantasy superhero hit from 2020 — arrives on Netflix this week.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Set in a fantasy version of early 1900s Japan, the series focuses on the adventures Tanjiro Kamado, an ordinary boy whose peaceful life in the mountains is disrupted when demons murder his family.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • Everything is laid out here, from Sonny’s contempt for authority to his capacity for superstition.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 June 2025
  • Surely, Mike McDermott has all the traits of an old-school baseball coach, from his emphasis on fundamentals, the energy belying his years, the sharp, dry wit and slew of superstitions.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
Noun
  • From $635 per night. La Réserve feels a bit like a daydream manifested.
    Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2025
  • Zooey Deschanel is living in a Screen Actors Guild Awards daydream.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Just to the south, there is a vision for a regional transportation center, plus apartments on the site of the decaying One Talcott Plaza.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
  • Still, its trine to numinous Neptune inspires you to expand your horizons and share your visions and ideas with others.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Delusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusion. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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