delude

verb

de·​lude di-ˈlüd How to pronounce delude (audio)
dē-
deluded; deluding

transitive verb

1
: to mislead the mind or judgment of : deceive, trick
… people he regards as deluded by the romantic idea that children somehow possess innate knowledge …Andrew Delbanco
… Hamilton apparently deluded himself, as the first Treasury secretary, into thinking his policies patriotic when their effect, Mr. Phillips says, was to put money into silken purses.Michael Knox Beran
2
obsolete
b
deluder noun
Choose the Right Synonym for delude

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness.

deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

Examples of delude in a Sentence

we deluded ourselves into thinking that the ice cream wouldn't affect our diet
Recent Examples on the Web Felicia was not deluding herself about Lenny (as practically everyone in the movie calls him). Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2023 The fact that the war has not yet spread across the region should not delude world leaders into imagining that an expansion cannot happen. Dalia Dassa Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2023 And what better conduit than Errol Morris, a filmmaker fascinated by people who delude themselves, or defend the indefensible, or become pawns in a system that eventually devours them—just like those in a Le Carré novel? John Anderson, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2023 No, Miss Manners is not deluded enough to think that anyone waited for her permission on such a crucial manner. Miss Manners | Judith Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 My knee-jerk reaction was to call them sellouts, or deluded, as many progressives would. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023 The way the position has been devalued around the league in recent years, some deluded themselves into thinking Robinson might drift all the way to Dallas at No. 26. David Moore, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2023 Don’t delude yourself. Marni Jameson, orlandosentinel.com, 21 Aug. 2020 Perhaps the esteem that’s placed on Stradivarius violins is less about the triumph to age-old craftsmanship, and more a testament to our ability to delude ourselves. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin deludere, from de- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of delude was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near delude

Cite this Entry

“Delude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delude. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delude

verb
de·​lude di-ˈlüd How to pronounce delude (audio)
deluded; deluding
: to lead into error : mislead the judgment of : deceive, trick
deluded by false promises
deluder noun

Medical Definition

delude

transitive verb
de·​lude di-ˈlüd How to pronounce delude (audio)
deluded; deluding
: to mislead the mind or judgment of

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