disillusion 1 of 2

verb

Definition of disillusionnext
as in to disabuse
to free from mistaken beliefs or foolish hopes we were disillusioned when we saw how the movie star acted in real life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disillusion

2 of 2

noun

as in disillusionment

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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 disillusion
Verb
This has created a divide, with those on the preservation side feeling disillusioned by the prevalence of slop, and those on the AI side excited by the possibilities, particularly as the tools continue to evolve. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026 Both could have been considered lapsed Catholics, disillusioned with the church’s position on homosexuality and its insistence that divorcees get an annulment before remarriage. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
The lyrics explored longing and disillusion, marking a thematic change for the band. — Sophie Williams, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025 Diminishing political and social returns — ideas that start from good intentions only to end in frustration and disillusion — seem to plague most attempts at addressing America’s structural problems, which remain and persist. — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disillusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disillusion
  1. disabuse
  2. disillusionment
  3. disenchant
  4. disenchantment
  5. uncertainty
Verb
  • If anything, the industry needs to disabuse itself of the notion that simply meeting guests’ expectations is a failure and embrace the value of reasonable hospitality.
    — Adam Reiner, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Monday’s slightly shorter ride to Guthrie Center packed in 3,572 feet, the most climbing of the week and enough to disabuse anyone still clinging to the fiction that Iowa is flat.
    — Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 25 July 2026
Definition of disabuse
Noun
  • Arguments, a lack of trust, disillusionment, drugs, alcohol, all of it became too difficult to contain.
    — Annarita Briganti, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Growing voter disillusionment with AI is driving a regulatory push in the US ahead of midterm elections, though the White House has so far shown little interest.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of disillusionment
Verb
  • David Remnick interviews Gina Hinojosa, the state’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, on how voters may be disenchanted enough to finally make that happen again.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Maher says that the fact that more than half the states allow capital punishment, but are issuing fewer death sentences, shows that the American people are disenchanted with the use of the death penalty.
    — Nate Perez, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of disenchant
Noun
  • To take such a thing seriously in this age of nihilism and disenchantment betrays a person as potentially unserious, someone committed to abstraction, to feeling over logic and material reality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier demonstrations erupted over mismanagement of a string of public examinations, and broader youth disenchantment with the authorities.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of disenchantment
Noun
  • The song’s origins offer a glimpse into the uncertainty surrounding Nicks and Buckingham before their personal lives became intertwined with Fleetwood Mac’s rise to superstardom.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The era of agentic AI has arrived, but there is uncertainty about what the landscape will look like when virtual storefronts become flooded with AI agents or when a business tries to block them.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of uncertainty

Browse Nearby Words

dishy
disillusion
disillusioned
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Cite this Entry

“Disillusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disillusion. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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