deluded

American

[dih-loo-did] / dɪˈlu dɪd /

adjective

entertaining a false belief or opinion; mistaken or deceived in mind or judgment.

While some deluded commentators welcomed this as "fantastic news," the rest of us were seriously upset.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of delude.

Other Word Forms

nondeluded adjective
undeluded adjective
undeludedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of deluded

delude ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Are they bigots? Are they deluded in thinking that they are subjected to unfair competition?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

"They weren't there; they weren't involved in the investigation. Some of these people are deluded," he says.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

His direct, pragmatic approach has seduced voters, but has it deluded him into thinking that he has all the answers?

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

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

From Salon • Sep. 5, 2025

But it was a thrill to be deluded in such a high-quality way.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023