mirage

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mirage contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mirage are delusion, hallucination, and illusion. While all these words mean "something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal," mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Where would delusion be a reasonable alternative to mirage?

The words delusion and mirage can be used in similar contexts, but 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 could hallucination be used to replace mirage?

In some situations, the words hallucination and mirage are roughly equivalent. However, hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

When can illusion be used instead of mirage?

While the synonyms illusion and mirage are close in meaning, illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

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 mirage But the winning record could obviously be a mirage given Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury that is expected to keep him out for an indefinite number of months. Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 Outside of these moments, the audience scatters, the conversation splinters, and the mirage vanishes. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 At the frontier edge of astronomy, tantalizing new observations have a tendency to be mirages. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025 An early exit from the WBIT might have led players to question whether their 16-1 start, and short stay in the Associated Press top 25, was a mirage. John Shipley, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mirage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mirage
Noun
  • In pieces on patriotism as a kind of madness, on the long history of Polish and Russian colonizations and cultural appropriations of Ukraine, on the ways communities fantasize and share their daydreams, and others, Janion creates wormholes between past and present.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The series can feel like a collective daydream.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Though her identity is not at first known to Benedict, the woman turns out to be Sophie Baek, a secretive maid with big dreams.
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 13 Oct. 2025
  • With each brick laid at The Site, The Toy will document dad’s decades-long dream.
    Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Inspired by mirrors, which reflect reality while simultaneously generating illusion, the collection explored the tension between the two.
    Denni Hu, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Her research examines people’s beliefs about what others think of them, including illusions and biases that can interfere with social connection, and interventions to improve people’s social lives.
    Maya Rossignac-Milon Erica Boothby, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mirage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mirage. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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