deluded
adj.believing something that is clearly not true. You use this to describe someone who is tricking themselves into thinking they are more successful or talented than they really are.
adj.maintaining a belief that is contradicted by reality or rational argument. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'remain'.
“He is deluded if he thinks he can win without practicing.”
“The manager remained deluded about the company's finances even as the bank prepared to close their accounts.”
“Critics argued the director was deluded by his own early success, leading him to ignore the structural flaws that ultimately doomed his final production.”
Commonly follows linking verbs; frequently modified by adverbs like 'completely', 'utterly', or 'dangerously'.
In modern usage, 'deluded' is primarily an adjective describing a state; using it as a past tense verb without an object is a common error.