1
as in illusory
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2
as in delusionary
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Recent Examples of delusional
Margot Robbie’s Catherine is whimsical, impulsive and occasionally delusional, a woman intoxicated by her own volatility.
—
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Fourth, despite the near-zero chance that the project would ever be completed, this hasn’t stopped delusional souls from looking beyond the primary Los Angeles to San Francisco project.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
The chronic daydreamer can easily identify with Catherine’s near-delusional longing for something to happen beyond the courtships and evenings around the pianoforte that seem to make up the better part of her future.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
His critics have attacked his platform as delusional and dangerous.
—Marianne Pizzitola, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
For my follow-on analysis of details about the OpenAI lawsuit and how AI can foster delusional thinking in humans, see my analysis at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The relentless news coverage was inevitably going to trigger people with delusional psychoses or inspire those with schemes for cash or fame.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Coalitional parties do make governing harder, but the same factions that frustrate also guard against delusional thinking that leads to devastating losses.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 27 Jan. 2026
No matter how locked in you are to your own ideological positions, anyone claiming to have truly wrapped their mind around AI is delusional.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Fourth, despite the near-zero chance that the project would ever be completed, this hasn’t stopped delusional souls from looking beyond the primary Los Angeles to San Francisco project.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
The chronic daydreamer can easily identify with Catherine’s near-delusional longing for something to happen beyond the courtships and evenings around the pianoforte that seem to make up the better part of her future.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
His critics have attacked his platform as delusional and dangerous.
—Marianne Pizzitola, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
For my follow-on analysis of details about the OpenAI lawsuit and how AI can foster delusional thinking in humans, see my analysis at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The relentless news coverage was inevitably going to trigger people with delusional psychoses or inspire those with schemes for cash or fame.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Coalitional parties do make governing harder, but the same factions that frustrate also guard against delusional thinking that leads to devastating losses.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 27 Jan. 2026
No matter how locked in you are to your own ideological positions, anyone claiming to have truly wrapped their mind around AI is delusional.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusional
Adjective
-
Disciplined Saturn encounters illusory Neptune in your 6th House of Work and Health, pushing you to define tasks and protect your focus from distractions.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The cost-cutting obsession is a trap, and the savings may prove illusory.—
Brad Anderson,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And there’s still almost an hour of film left to go, in which everyone, including the audience, is in a sort of hallucinatory, post traumatic daze — but even the relative comfort of that won’t last long.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Convinced that her sadistic ceremonies will transform him into a god, Clara draws Brighton into a hallucinatory descent into faith, flesh, and the sublime.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The primary tension here is between Kyle and Camille, two women locked in a season-long battle of paranoid insecurity and misread intentions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Making Verification Normal, Not Niche ClarityCheck aims to reframe verification from a rare or paranoid action into a casual, everyday safety habit, no more unusual than Googling a product before buying it.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t callousness or delusive optimism but, rather, a rebellion against the suffocating expectation that the elderly have foreclosed the possibility of joy.—
Hillary Kelly,
The New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2024
-
To separate art from its historical framework is futile, and to reject it in an effort to censor past violence is a delusive act of virtue signaling.—
WSJ,
WSJ,
5 July 2022
Adjective
-
The ongoing controversy surrounding the police shooting of a mentalliy ill Queens schizophrenic man who charged at cops with a knife ratcheted up a notch Wednesday with the release of 911 audio the NYPD says makes clear police were going to be responding to the episode.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The most compelling aspect of Newsom’s biography is his schizophrenic upbringing, vis-à-vis wealth.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The show, then and now, combines a sentimental, satirical, soapy, sometimes surreal comedy with a straightforward medical show.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
That’s good, because ALL MONSTERS’ lyrics are dense with surreal, melancholic humor, informed by Haas’ experiences with ADHD and autism and their trans identity.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
Pitchfork,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Marty is not cultured, colorful and neurotic with a penchant for Yiddish outbursts.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
-
There’s Bill Walsh, the brilliant, neurotic coach who some feel burned out too soon.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Casa Maruka Cleverly channeling an old-fashioned casa de comidas complete with an imaginary granny (Maruka) at the stove and classic Spanish dishes tweaked for modern tastes, Alberto Serrano and Maria José Calabria continue to preside over what may be Palma’s most consistently enjoyable restaurant.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Locate the two uppermost stars — Merak and Dubhe — and draw an imaginary line from the former through the latter and out into space.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delusional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusional. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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