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 According to the neurologist, Dr. Alier Marrero, the patients suffered hallucinations, spasms, rapid memory loss and the sensation that bugs were crawling underneath their skin, but their symptoms and brain scans didn’t neatly fit an existing diagnosis. Aria Bendix, NBC news, 7 May 2025 The worst examples of Google's idiomatic AI guesswork are ones where the LLM slips past plausible interpretations and into sheer hallucination of completely fictional sources. ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025 What is the first step in protecting your business from hallucinations? Cory McNeley, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 The ensuing narratives are revealing and empowering, equally vulnerable and resolute, and, in a word, haunting for the ways in which that moment of recognition is echoed again and again, as something like an auditory hallucination that has become all too real. Ivy G. Wilson, Artforum, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hallucination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hallucination
Noun
  • Agencies encourage the illusion of such bonds while controlling nearly every aspect of the idols’ real lives.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
  • The show uses dual-reality technology, a technique derived from the world of mentalism, to support the illusion of real-time interaction with a pre-recorded program.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Spread it around Twitter where the console wars are still kept alive via delusion, sadness and regressive human thinking.
    Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • However, in addition, the Moon also opposes fuzzy Neptune in your sign, which can create confusion, delusion and deceit.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Studying at Columbia—the home of such Palestinian scholars as Edward Said and Rashid Khalidi—had always been a dream of Khalil’s.
    Aida Alami, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
  • However, as humanity stands on the precipice of a technological revolution, particularly with the convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence the sustainability and viability of UBI as a global approach might no longer be a distant dream but a tangible reality.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Set in a ghostly Himalayan town, the movie is billed as an exploration of myth, memory, and places left behind.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 May 2025
  • The Odyssey, the Oppenheimer director’s epic take on the classic Greek myth, will shoot entirely on Imax film cameras, a first for a commercial feature.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • These daydreams of quality might just be delusions.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Starting with a dreamy conjunction between Venus and Neptune in Pisces on Feb. 1, don’t be surprised if your love life feels extra enchanting — indulge in your daydreams and let your imagination guide you.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Garcia, who denies gang membership, had an immigration court order protecting him from deportation, which the administration acknowledged was an administrative error.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Look for errors online or by going to the assessor’s office.
    LEW SICHELMAN, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • One of this year’s most unique and original K-dramas is Heavenly Ever After, a quirky romantic fantasy from Studio Phoenix and SLL that vividly imagines life after death.
    Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Wolfgang Petersen's poignant take on The NeverEnding Story might slightly lack the depth and sophistication of its source material — Michael Ende's expansive fantasy novel — but the result is still enchanting escapism, with effects and tricks that hold up pretty well.
    Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Earlier this month, a mysterious store selling a vision of the future opened its doors in downtown San Francisco’s Union Square district.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
  • The same goes for your visions of the future versus your current reality.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hallucination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hallucination. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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