delude

[dih-lood]

verb (used with object)

deluded, deluding 

1. to mislead the mind or judgment of; deceive.

   His conceit deluded him into believing he was important.

   Synonyms: gull, defraud, cheat, dupe, cozen, beguile

2. Obsolete.,  to mock or frustrate the hopes or aims of.

3. Obsolete.,  to elude; evade.

delude

/ dɪˈluːd /

verb

1. to deceive the mind or judgment of; mislead; beguile

2. rare,  to frustrate (hopes, expectations, etc)

Other Word Forms

• deludingly adverb
• deluder noun
• deludable adjective
• nondeluding adjective
• undeluding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of delude¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English deluden, from Latin dēlūdere “to play false,” equivalent to dē- de- + lūdere “to play”

Word History and Origins

Origin of delude¹

C15: from Latin dēlūdere to mock, play false, from _de- + lūdere to play

Example Sentences

But she’s not the only one who is either deluded or lying about the implications.

From Salon

At best, they were narrowly competent; at worst, morally compromised and dangerously deluded.

From Salon

"Any time from the outside I've seen her in a difficult situation, she says it's tough and she's honest. She isn't deluded. She always addresses it."

From BBC

It comes with the territory and anyone who thinks it doesn't is deluding themselves.

From BBC

There could be “huge social ruptures where one side sees the other as very cruelly exploiting AI while the other side sees the first as deluding itself into thinking there’s sentience there,” he said.

From Salon

Related Words

• dupe 
• hoodwink 
• misguide 
• mislead