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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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 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

Meta argued the state failed to prove misleading statements about privacy and that content moderation actually harmed New Mexicans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Meta argued that New Mexico failed to prove that the tech giant's executives made misleading statements about privacy and that its content moderation practices harmed state residents.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of misleading

Adjective

But several Theranos staffers and journalists say Holmes was frequently deceptive and would lie repeatedly, especially when confronted with facts.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election.

— Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Adjective

Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
The false polling data from Wedgewood Polls consistently favored Democrats, particularly progressive candidates.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of false

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

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 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of delusory

adjective

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