ignis fatuus

noun

Definition of ignis fatuusnext
as in pipe dream

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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 ignis fatuus Several sources say ignis fatuus, a spark of swamp gas, is the likely cause of the strange light. — Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023 The story also helped explain ignis fatuus, a natural phenomenon that occurs in marshlands and bogs—such as those in Ireland’s countryside—producing flickering lights as gases from decomposing organic matter combust. — National Geographic, 27 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignis fatuus
  1. pipe dream
  2. mirage
  3. chimera
  4. will-o'-the-wisp
  5. delusion
  6. unreality
  7. daydream
Noun
  • As the league and union continue amassing their respective war chests for the next CBA four-to-five years down the road, the last thing the league needs to do publicly is depict pipe dreams as front-burner issues.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Even a few short years ago, the possibility of another Alabama Shakes album sounded like a pipe dream.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of pipe dream
Noun
  • And that should be no big surprise, because 2024 wasn’t a mirage.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • After a couple of days at sea during the crossing from Svalbard to East Greenland, our first sight of land appeared almost like a mirage on the horizon.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of mirage
Noun
  • Additional cast members include Lorenzo James Henrie (Fear the Walking Dead), Lorenzo Richelmy (Netflix's Marco Polo), Vincenzo Nemolato (La chimera), and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding).
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
  • Workers will continue with smaller tasks around the facade, including the installation of chimeras that sit on the roofline, but the heavy lifting has been completed, Walter said.
    — Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of chimera
Noun
  • As the guitar-strumming will-o'-the-wisp Maria von Trapp, Julie Andrews taught us a few of her favorite things.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of will-o'-the-wisp
Noun
  • As in other sports , every fan base enters certain levels of delusion.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Symptoms of toxicity can include delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing and increases in blood pressure and heart rate.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • God is the infinite Mind that naturally causes each individual to know right from wrong, truth from untruth, and most importantly, reality from unreality.
    — Suzanne Riedel, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026
  • The passion for sports is a matter of its unrealities—its past is more myth than history.
    — Austin Elias-de Jesus, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
Definition of unreality
Noun
  • The next day, Luwi had a similar daydream, but this time the disapproving patriarch was Gajdusek.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
Definition of daydream

Browse Nearby Words

ignes fatui
ignis fatuus
ignitable
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Cite this Entry

“Ignis fatuus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignis%20fatuus. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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