delusional

adjective

1
as in illusory

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in delusionary

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Dissimilar Words

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 delusional Almost every great performer is at some point in their life delusional. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026 In February, Patrick Collison told TBPN there was a reasonable chance Q1 2026 would be remembered as the first quarter of the singularity, adding that in hindsight the claim might look completely delusional. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 But just as Dunham inadvertently evokes strong, sometimes delusional emotions in both her peers and the public, so does Portman. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 Today, Paine’s delusional sense of the possible has resurfaced in the enthusiasm of many young people for socialism. — George F. Will, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026 So much so, in fact, that cybersecurity researchers warn that criminals can easily weaponize delusional AI outputs to spread malware throughout the internet. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 29 July 2026 Of course, many fans of clubs are so delusional that the facts are irrelevant. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026 For Slattery, what begins as an exercise in comic self-demolition gradually becomes the movie’s biggest surprise, with the actor turning a desperate, delusional version of himself into its most unexpectedly lovable character. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 Grief experts are wary of these potential harms, too — especially since several major AI companies faced wrongful death lawsuits claiming AI chatbots encouraged self-harm or pushed users into delusional mental states. — Ella Chakarian, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusional
  1. illusory
  2. paranoid
  3. hallucinatory
  4. schizophrenic
  5. delusive
  6. neurotic
  7. surreal
  8. schizoid
Adjective
  • Until there is agreement on which share count and which components of enterprise value belong in these calculations, comparability across companies is illusory, and the sector now includes well over a hundred public issuers of very different sizes.
    — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Brew believes an ultimate compromise would mean Iran making an illusory comparison to the Strait of Malacca where there is a smaller, voluntary fee system for services rendered and maintenance.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of illusory
Adjective
  • The result is a sprawling theory combining paranoid interpretations of current events with historical conspiracies.
    — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • These women can become depressed, isolated, paranoid — convinced their thinning hair is all other people see.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of paranoid
Adjective
  • That wouldn’t have left time for the psychotic, hallucinatory state to begin and for the voices in Clancy’s head to kick in and tell her to kill the children and carry out the suicide attempt, as the defense team has contended, Sprague said.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
  • For Prosper Insights & Analytics Both executives and employees listed the top two concerns being the need for human oversight and inaccurate or hallucinatory outputs.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hallucinatory
Adjective
  • As her life is starting, her mother suffers from an acute schizophrenic episode.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 16 June 2026
  • Americans call the sport soccer, the rest of the world calls it football, and therein lies the rub, the disconnection at the heart of the schizophrenic All-American life of Gilbert Chevalier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Definition of schizophrenic
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
Definition of delusive
Adjective
  • Kuk and especially Kodelja shine with naturalistic charm in this delicate two-hander, their easy chemistry making credible the rapport between Maruša’s grungy cynic and Alja’s snuggie-wearing neurotic.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Alyson Hannigan was Lily, a kindergarten teacher and Marshall’s loving, supportive wife, who also happens to have a wild, feisty, and neurotic side.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of neurotic
Adjective
  • The ideas suggest that Julie and Billy remain ideally equipped to take on an increasingly surreal era of looksmaxxing, brand integration, nepo babies, prestige dramedies and vertical video.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That plot twist gives Chase the opportunity to send Gemma into the Further, dreaming up all sorts of frighteningly surreal environments.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of surreal
Adjective
  • The artist adopts a schizoid persona, with multiple voices flowing out of him, and swerves between lucid social criticism—about the history of slavery or of higher education—and total gibberish.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The idea of a schizoid Lady M is not entirely without appeal, but despite strong performances across the board, the work runs aground fast.
    — Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Definition of schizoid

Browse Nearby Words

delusion
delusional
delusionary
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Cite this Entry

“Delusional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusional. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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