Synonyms of hallucination

hallucination

noun

hə-ˌlü-sə-ˈnā-shən 

1

as in illusion

a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality

were the voices real, or merely a hallucination?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illusion
• dream
• daydream
• fantasy
• vision
• delusion
• phantasy
• unreality
• nightmare
• phantasm
• imaging
• figment
• chimera
• fantasm
• idea
• mirage
• pipe dream
• castle in the air
• castle in Spain
• conceit
• fiction
• nonentity
• visualization
• fancy
• concoction
• utopia
• fabrication
• ignis fatuus
• fable
• brainchild
• cloudland
• will-o'-the-wisp
• cloud-cuckoo-land
• invention
• envisaging
• Shangri-la
• daymare

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fact
• reality
• actuality

2

as in delusion

a false idea or belief

the common hallucination that gluttony during the holiday season doesn't have consequences

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delusion
• illusion
• myth
• error
• superstition
• misunderstanding
• misconception
• fallacy
• misbelief
• falsehood
• untruth
• falsity
• distortion
• fiction
• old wives' tale
• tale
• pretense
• lie
• pretence
• misperception
• misinterpretation
• misrepresentation
• miscomprehension
• misjudgment
• inaccuracy
• misapprehension
• misstatement
• story
• misinformation
• factoid
• sophism
• sophistry
• half-truth
• fib
• misknowledge
• misreport

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truth
• verity

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun hallucination contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hallucination are delusion, illusion, and mirage. While all these words mean "something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal," hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

When is it sensible to use delusion instead of hallucination?

The words delusion and hallucination are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

When can illusion be used instead of hallucination?

Although the words illusion and hallucination have much in common, illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

When is mirage a more appropriate choice than hallucination?

While in some cases nearly identical to hallucination, mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hallucination

In addition to his dementia, Wilson had for decades struggled with depression and a schizoaffective disorder, the latter of which triggered auditory hallucinations, even while on tour and working in the studio with the Beach Boys. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025

Her present day interactions with the Liars have all been hallucinations of their ghosts. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 June 2025

Ruiz’s father told San Antonio Express-News that his son had been exhibiting signs of a mental disorder, including having hallucinations and making paranoid accusations, in the days leading up to the stabbing. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025

On Thursday, June 26, the father of 14-year-old Zane Wach shared an update on the teen's health following an incident two weeks ago, in which Zane began experiencing hallucinations due to what doctors believe was altitude sickness. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 29 June 2025