delusion
- 01 C1 Advanced
a belief in something that is not true, which you keep even when people show you proof that you are wrong.
a firm, fixed belief in something false, maintained despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.
Simple“He was under the delusion that he could win the race without any training.”
In context“The patient suffered from the persistent delusion that he was being monitored by a foreign intelligence agency despite all evidence to the contrary.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'under' as in 'under the delusion that'.
PitfallHe has a delusion of his own importance. He has delusions of grandeur.When describing someone who thinks they are much more important than they really are, the fixed phrase is 'delusions of grandeur'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
the act of tricking someone or the state of being tricked into believing something false.
the process of deluding or the state of being deluded; the act of deceiving oneself or others.
Simple“The company's success was a total delusion created by dishonest accounting.”
In context“The political campaign was built on a foundation of public delusion, masking the true economic consequences of the proposed policies.”
“Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed Trump’s comments as “delusions”.”
“Whether that’s his delusion or whether he just actually exists in this insane, cartoon world is for the audience to decide.”
From Latin dēlūsiō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.