Synonyms of delusion

delusion

noun

di-ˈlü-zhən 

1

as in illusion

a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality

her idea that her new man is a long lost prince is surely just a delusion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illusion
• dream
• fantasy
• daydream
• vision
• unreality
• hallucination
• idea
• mirage
• chimera
• nightmare
• phantasm
• conceit
• figment
• pipe dream
• castle in the air
• castle in Spain
• imaging
• nonentity
• fiction
• fancy
• concoction
• ignis fatuus
• utopia
• fabrication
• visualization
• brainchild
• fable
• cloudland
• cloud-cuckoo-land
• will-o'-the-wisp
• invention
• Shangri-la
• envisaging
• daymare

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fact
• reality
• actuality

2

as in myth

a false idea or belief

he appears to suffer from the delusion that he's the best reporter in the business

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illusion
• myth
• error
• superstition
• hallucination
• misconception
• misunderstanding
• fallacy
• misbelief
• falsehood
• untruth
• falsity
• pretense
• distortion
• fiction
• lie
• misperception
• tale
• old wives' tale
• misapprehension
• misrepresentation
• misinterpretation
• miscomprehension
• misinformation
• misjudgment
• factoid
• inaccuracy
• misstatement
• sophistry
• sophism
• story
• half-truth
• fib
• misknowledge
• misreport

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truth
• verity

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

Recent Examples of delusion

The case has rightly focused attention on how chatbots apparently reinforce delusions and foster emotional dependency. —Marc Augustin, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026

Lying in this crypt is Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman, a tragic humbug, his delusions contradicted by the ruins around him. —Hilton Als, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026

His delusion is central to why this revival is so potent. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026

The character is widely considered one of the most demanding in theater, requiring actors to remain onstage for most of the nearly three-hour play while navigating emotional collapse, memory and delusion in real time. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026