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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
  • How could this kid from the cornfields of Illinois say no to that kind of pipe dream?
    — Robert Greenblatt, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of pipe dream
Noun
  • However, any sense of security that three-year buffer may have offered was a mirage; Newcastle recognised that, with Hall having so many admirers across Europe, extending his contract had to be an immediate post-window priority.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • My beloved and devoted wife was left with a husband who endangered her well-being through a mirage.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of mirage
Noun
  • The new era of worker power that labor advocates proclaimed as the pandemic ebbed was something of a chimera.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mixed into a suspension of cellulose nanoparticles and then frozen, the customised chimera formed a flexible molecular skeleton that dramatically increases the tensile strength of the surrounding ice.
    — Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 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
  • Neither Simring nor Hasson could say when the delusion had started.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • One of the most compelling thematic ideas in your film is the distinction between a stunt driver and a daredevil — real craft versus reckless delusion.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Sep. 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
  • It's inspired by Snoopy's daydream of being the coolest beagle on campus.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The next day, Luwi had a similar daydream, but this time the disapproving patriarch was Gajdusek.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ignis fatuus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ignis fatuus

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