delusional

adjective

1
as in illusory

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2
as in delusionary

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delusional Today, Paine’s delusional sense of the possible has resurfaced in the enthusiasm of many young people for socialism. — George F. Will, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026 So much so, in fact, that cybersecurity researchers warn that criminals can easily weaponize delusional AI outputs to spread malware throughout the internet. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 29 July 2026 Of course, many fans of clubs are so delusional that the facts are irrelevant. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026 None of these pronouncements has panned out; some have bordered on delusional. — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 For Slattery, what begins as an exercise in comic self-demolition gradually becomes the movie’s biggest surprise, with the actor turning a desperate, delusional version of himself into its most unexpectedly lovable character. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 Grief experts are wary of these potential harms, too — especially since several major AI companies faced wrongful death lawsuits claiming AI chatbots encouraged self-harm or pushed users into delusional mental states. — Ella Chakarian, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026 In an interview with NPR, Wolff said neighbors, family, and teachers all agreed that Saldaño was sometimes delusional and unable to understand such simple directions as how to cross the street without being hit by a car. — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 22 June 2026 And 15 percent reported that their patients developed delusional thinking associated with the AI use. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusional
  1. illusory
  2. paranoid
  3. hallucinatory
  4. schizophrenic
  5. delusive
  6. neurotic
  7. surreal
  8. schizoid
Adjective
  • Instead, Brew believes an ultimate compromise would mean Iran making an illusory comparison to the Strait of Malacca where there is a smaller, voluntary fee system for services rendered and maintenance.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Conversations need grounding as intuitive Moon in your 3rd House of Communication opposes illusory Neptune in your 9th House of Travel and Learning, so facts and visions compete.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026
Definition of illusory
Adjective
  • The paranoid despot is a familiar trope, in fairy tales and in fact.
    — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Cybersecurity researchers have likely considered the threats of AGI because those in the field tend to be paranoid, said IBM’s Fussell.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of paranoid
Adjective
  • This facilitated a new segment at the end of this movie where Hathaway fights a hallucinatory version of the Nu Gundam piloted by Amuro.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of hallucinatory
Adjective
  • As her life is starting, her mother suffers from an acute schizophrenic episode.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 16 June 2026
  • Americans call the sport soccer, the rest of the world calls it football, and therein lies the rub, the disconnection at the heart of the schizophrenic All-American life of Gilbert Chevalier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Definition of schizophrenic
Adjective
  • This isn’t callousness or delusive optimism but, rather, a rebellion against the suffocating expectation that the elderly have foreclosed the possibility of joy.
    — Hillary Kelly, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024
  • To separate art from its historical framework is futile, and to reject it in an effort to censor past violence is a delusive act of virtue signaling.
    — WSJ, WSJ, 5 July 2022
Definition of delusive
Adjective
  • The perfect dog needed to love balls or tug toys, be neurotic and extremely obsessive.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In the artist, unlike the neurotic personality, stuckness can be hard to distinguish from integrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of neurotic
Adjective
  • With its möbius-strip-esque structure, this surreal social class satire about grief, urban alienation and gentrification in the city of Lagos explores the lost hope of the Nigerian dream.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The chance to observe a total solar eclipse doesn't come along very often and is truly surreal and magical.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of surreal
Adjective
  • The artist adopts a schizoid persona, with multiple voices flowing out of him, and swerves between lucid social criticism—about the history of slavery or of higher education—and total gibberish.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The idea of a schizoid Lady M is not entirely without appeal, but despite strong performances across the board, the work runs aground fast.
    — Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Definition of schizoid

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Cite this Entry

“Delusional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusional. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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