Definition of hallucinationnext

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

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 hallucination Beyond the system’s superficial tone and pleasantries, Martin and Souza had to contend with the serious issue of hallucinations, or instances in which AI systems confidently share false or exaggerated information. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026 But common symptoms include visual hallucinations and thought delusions, in which those with schizophrenia see or hear things that deviate from reality. David Oliver, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025 The researchers think that dysfunction of this system could lead to hallucinations, in which people mistake something generated by the brain for something real. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025 Tarnor did have a high level of methamphetamine in his system, which has been known to cause hallucinations, aggressive behavior and irrational reactions, the report said. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hallucination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hallucination
Noun
  • Sadly, his college ball dreams didn’t come to fruition after the coach who called him up retired.
    Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Over the past seven years, Blake Lively brought her dream hair care line to life by redefining the beauty industry with a blend of passion, precision and purpose.
    Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said paralytic dementia symptoms can include delusions along with memory and language problems.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
  • But in this version, set in a contemporary world resembling our own, where politics is a spectacle, the main character’s delusions revolve around television.
    Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Most of them are unemployed and produce nothing but illusions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Then, style the cut with a deep side part to create the illusion of an asymmetrical blunt cut.
    Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The many myths and inaccuracies that surrounded him not only disguised the bloody, chaotic and cynical reality of Ramírez’s activities, but greatly assisted them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Before Ilia Malinin, the quadruple axel was somewhat of a myth.
    Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Bob Weir, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, whose songs about sunshine daydreams and truckin’ helped turn the jam band into a 60-year musical empire, has died at age 78.
    Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Season 5, after all, is framed by Mike and Eleven’s daydream of a conversation in the first episode.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • On the ground, first responders described how Watch Duty’s real-time wildfire mapping and alert app has become indispensable when fast-moving fires leave little room for hesitation or error.
    Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
  • This story has been updated to correct an error.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The vision, however, was as crucial as the sound, and the vision was as yet inchoate, embryonic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
  • In any other news cycle, Disney locking horns with Google would have dominated, but such was the gravity of the Mouse House’s OpenAI agreement, that the battle was somewhat in peripheral vision.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • More elite than university even, the boarding school occupies a fantasy space in the writer’s imagination, making novels about them a tantalizing glimpse into another world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
  • In his director’s statement, Edwin describes the film as an attempt to merge horror with dark comedy and surreal fantasy while confronting labor exploitation and dehumanizing working conditions.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hallucination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hallucination. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

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