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

Here's What the Director Has Teased Jack Nicholson's Son Ray Channels Dad's Creepy Grin in 'Smile 2' However, this victory is revealed to be a hallucination; in reality, Rose remains trapped within the house, and the entity overpowers her. —Jane Lacroix, People.com, 15 May 2025

Are the meerkats that appear near the end of the story real or a hallucination? —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

But without a human in the loop, the risk of bugs, hallucinations, and poor architecture increases exponentially. —Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

In 2023, 58% of AI decision makers at companies in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. expressed concern over the risk of hallucinations in a generative AI deployment, Forrester found. —Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 17 May 2025