Synonyms of mirage

mirage

noun

as in daydream

something that comes from or exists only in the mind and is not real

He thought he saw water up ahead but it was just a mirage.

Related Words

• daydream
• dream
• illusion
• delusion
• nightmare
• vision
• unreality
• chimera
• phantasm
• hallucination
• figment
• fantasy
• optical illusion
• pipe dream
• fabrication
• fiction
• visualization
• concoction
• nonentity
• idea
• conceit
• apparition
• imaging
• ignis fatuus
• fancy
• utopia
• brainchild
• fable
• will-o'-the-wisp
• cloudland
• appearance
• envisaging
• Shangri-la
• invention
• imaginativeness
• ideation
• creativity
• contrivance
• daymare
• inventiveness
• originality
• mind's eye

Dissimilar Words

• fact
• reality
• actuality

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

Recent Examples of mirage

The landscape seems to stretch indefinitely, the horizon appearing like a cartoon mirage at all times. — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026

Cynics think that Manchesterism is a mirage and that Burnham is unduly hogging the credit for the regeneration of the city’s downtown. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026

Will a 'red mirage' help Steyer? — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 June 2026

State officials and elections experts reject the allegations as baseless, pointing to California’s generous mail voting rules, laborious signature checks and a predictable ‘red mirage’ that initially favors Republicans. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!