Skip to main content
delusory

delusory

1 9.1
Giving a false idea that makes people believe something untrue
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈluːzəri/
translation icon : ilusorio
  • The advertisement created a delusory image of the product that misled many consumers.

Examples

  • It is delusory to think that money can buy happiness.

  • As for the students, it would be delusory to attempt to enumerate them.

    Academic text (2003)
  • ('Win/lose' is actually an interestingly delusory form of 'lose/lose' by the way.)

    Blog text (4)
  • Ultimately, a life based on the pursuit of material enjoyment is delusory, for it defeats the very thing it purports to deliver, namely, happiness.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Some celebrity autobiographers forestall the reader's envy by offering escapism packaged in a delusory aura of egalitarian good faith.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Further, when she calls herself "Dr. Foster's daughter" at the wedding and "daddy's daughter" at the dinner table, she deprives him of his delusory "ownership" of her and erodes his self-respect and masculinity.

    Academic text (1997)
  • His delusory beliefs about his abilities led him to take unnecessary risks.

Synonyms

phony
vsdelusory
  • Informal
220 5.3

Trying to seem real to deceive people

puts more weight on making someone accept a false idea
delusional
vsdelusory
156 7.9

Believing things that are not true

is about misleading others into belief rather than a personal mental state
deceptive
vsdelusory
62 5.3

Appearing true but making someone believe something that is not true

focuses more on causing others to accept something untrue
illusory
vsdelusory
12 7.0

Seeming to be real but not really there

focuses more on leading people to accept a false idea
illusionary
vsdelusory
2 7.7

Appearing real but trying to trick your mind

is broader, stressing misleading belief rather than only sensory trickery
delusionary
vsdelusory
1 8.0

Giving a false idea that something is true

emphasizes causing others to believe something untrue rather than inner belief
delusive
vsdelusory
1 8.1

Making something seem true when it is not

is similar but stresses the likelihood of misleading belief
illusive
vsdelusory
1 8.2

Appearing real but not actually true

leans more toward actively causing false belief than mere appearance
illusional
vsdelusory
1 9.4

Appearing real when it is not

puts stronger emphasis on making people believe what is untrue

Antonyms

218 3.8

Something that is real and trustworthy, not a fake

26 5.1

Someone can prove a claim true by checking the facts

How Deceptive

fraudulent
90 6.5
delusory
1 9.1
deceptive
62 5.3
misleading
148 4.4

Surface Forms

delusory positive
delusorier comparative
delusorist superlative

Morphology

delusory = delusion (transparent) = delus + ory

The adjective is directly related to 'delude'/'delusion' (deceive/false belief), so its meaning 'deceptive or misleading' is predictable from the base.

Etymology

The word delusory comes from the Latin parts de- 'away' and ludere 'to play', and it shares the same root as the English word delude. Think of a 'play' or trick that makes something seem real when it is not, so delusory means giving a false or misleading impression.