Meaning & use

delude

verb·Academic

To make someone believe something that is not true, often about themselves.

See it in a sentence

He deluded himself into thinking the failing business would recover on its own.

Don't delude your investors with numbers that don't reflect reality.

A note on using this word

"Delude" is frequently used reflexively ("delude yourself"), describing self-deception rather than deception by another person.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

enlightenundeceive

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