Delude – Meaning, Definition, Synonyms and Antonyms
Delude is a verb in English. It means to trick or mislead someone so they believe something false.
Meaning:
Delude means to lead someone into a wrong belief or expectation. The misunderstanding can involve other people’s motives (for example, advertising that doesn’t match reality) or it can be internal, where a person deludes themselves with hope, denial, or unrealistic fantasies.
Definition:
To delude someone is to make them think something is true when it is not. This can be done intentionally (such as fraud or manipulation) or unintentionally (such as a misunderstanding that convinces someone of the wrong idea). In some contexts, delusion can also involve psychological self-deception, where a person holds onto a false narrative despite evidence to the contrary.
Etymology:
The verb delude comes from the Latin deludere, meaning “to play or mock” or “to escape by trickery.” It entered English in the 1500s, keeping the sense of leading someone away from reality by deception.
Example Sentences:
- He tried to delude himself into believing that the missed deadline would be fine.
- Scammers often delude people by promising guaranteed profits and “no risk” returns.
- Don’t delude yourself into thinking success comes without planning and practice.
- The spokesperson attempted to delude voters with false claims about the proposed policy.
- After reading the fine print, she realized the campaign was designed to delude customers.
Delude Synonyms:
Delude Antonyms:
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