DELUSORY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

delusory

adjective

di-ˈlü-sə-rē

Definition of delusory

as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive the delusory notion that wealth invariably brings happiness

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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 delusory That is delusory of course, but it can be fashioned into a victory claim that might well be readily embraced by war-weary and war-wary Russians in the public and among the elite. — John Mueller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusory

Adjective

Spanish officials have blamed traffickers for spreading similar misleading information, and there is a growing suspicion that Moroccan authorities initially failed to stop the crowds, intentionally allowing the surge to grow.

— Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Pruitt’s interest in opera is genuine, but the flourish is misleading.

— Carson Griffith, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Definition of misleading

Adjective

The county attorney presented a plan to sue several big pharma companies for the deceptive marketing practices that triggered the opioid epidemic, following the pattern established by lawsuits filed against tobacco companies starting in the 1990s.

— Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Outside companies can test systems for cybersecurity risks, deceptive behavior, privacy failures, bias and dangerous capabilities.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Adjective

There are factors that could tilt in favor of Fauci’s strategy, including the fact that his pardon would not protect him from potential state prosecutions or from a federal prosecution related to any testimony that investigators deemed false.

— Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Yet, the suit added, county officials later acknowledged that was false; no one from DCFS saw Sophia in person after that September 2021 report.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of false

Browse Nearby Words

delusive

delusory

deluxe

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“Delusory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusory. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of delusory

adjective

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