That girl is under the delusion that she is a princess.
Source: tatoeba (68221)
Delusion
Synonyms for "delusion" (214 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (43)
Noun(2 words)
psychotic beliefcastles
aberrancyaberrationactingaffectationagnosiaairy nothingapparitionappearanceartificeattitudinizingautismbamboozlementbefoolingblockblockingbluffbluffingbubblecalculated deceptioncastle in the air
Show 21 more words
Strong matches (64)
Noun(7 words)
delusivenessdereismdeviancydisguisedisorientationdissemblancedissemblingdissimulationdistortiondreamdream visiondreamlanddreamworldduperyeidolonenmeshmentensnaremententanglemententrapmentequivocation
Show 37 more words
errancyerroneousnesserrorfacadefacefakefakeryfakingfallaciousnessfallacyfalse airfalse belieffalse frontfalse showfalsenessfalsityfancyfantasyfaultfaultinessfeigningfeintfigmentflawflawednessflight of ideasflimflamflimflammeryfond illusionfoolingfour-flushingfraudfrontghostgiltglosshallucination
Related words (107)
Noun(13 words)
hallucinosishamartiaheresyheterodoxyhoodwinkinghumbughumbuggeryignis fatuusillusionimpostureinsanitykiddingmasquerademental blockmental confusionmeretriciousnessmiragemisapplicationmisbeliefmisconception
Show 73 more words
misconstructionmisdoingmisfeasancemisinterpretationmisjudgmentmistakenihilismnihilistic delusionostentationoutward showoutwittingoverreachingparalogiapeccancyperversionphantasmphantompipe dreamplayactingposeposingposturepreconceptionpretensepretensionpretextpsychological blockputting onrepresentationruseseemingself-contradictionself-deceitself-deceptionself-delusionsemblanceshadeshamshowsimulacrumsimulationsinsinfulnesssnow jobsong and dancesophismsophistryspeciousnessspooferyspoofingspuriousnessstratagemsubterfugeswindlingtricktrickerytrickinesstrickingtripunorthodoxyuntruenessuntruthuntruthfulnessvaporvarnishvictimizationvisionwillful misconceptionwindow dressingwishful thinkingwrongwrong impressionwrongness
Adjective(1 words)
wild idea
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: psychotic belief, aberrancy, aberration, acting, affectation.
- Sentence evidence is available for delusion, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "delusion".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "delusion"
Keep "delusion" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "delusion" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "delusion", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "delusion" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesbeliefdeceitdeceptiondissemblingdissimulationideamental conditionmental statemisconceptionpsychological conditionpsychological statepsychological symptom
More specific
7 entriesCapgras syndromegrandiose delusionjealous delusionmythparanormal beliefpersecutory delusionurban legend
Collocations
6 entriesCapgras syndromefalse belieffixed delusiongrandiose delusionpersecutory delusionpsychotic delusion
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
13 total sentences available.
When I was a kid, I thought that if I died the world would just disappear. What a childish delusion! I just couldn't accept that the world could continue to exist without me.
Source: tatoeba (510318)
The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.
Source: tatoeba (714837)
The final delusion is the belief that one has lost all delusions.
Source: tatoeba (1505792)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "delusion"?
Closest matches include psychotic belief, aberrancy, aberration, acting, affectation.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "delusion"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.