hallucinate

[huh-loo-suh-neyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hallucinate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, hal·lu·ci·nat·ing.

verb (used with object), hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, hal·lu·ci·nat·ing.

Origin of hallucinate

1595–1605; < Latin hallūcinātus, past participle of (h)allūcināri to wander in mind; see -ate¹

Related formshal·lu·ci·na·tor, nounnon·hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, adjectiveun·hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, adjectiveun·hal·lu·ci·nat·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hallucinate

Contemporary Examples of hallucinate

The episode then dives into A Christmas Carol territory as Oliver starts to hallucinate.
Arrow ‘Three Ghosts’ Recap: Here Comes The Flash!
Chancellor Agard
December 12, 2013
One night, while looking in the mirror he began to hallucinate that he could not see his flesh or his bones.
10 Revelations About Robert Redford
The Daily Beast
May 8, 2011

Historical Examples of hallucinate

A placard that is to have effect at some distance must be in glaring colours; pathos calls for images that hallucinate.
mile Verhaeren
Stefan Zweig

British Dictionary definitions for hallucinate

hallucinate

verb

(intr) to experience hallucinations

Derived Formshallucinator, noun

Word Origin for hallucinate

C17: from Latin ālūcinārī to wander in mind; compare Greek aluein to be distraught

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hallucinate

c.1600, "deceive," from Latin alucinatus, later hallucinatus, past participle of alucinari "wander (in the mind), dream; talk unreasonably, ramble in thought," probably from Greek alyein, Attic halyein "be distraught," probably related to alaomai "wander about" [Barnhart, Klein]. The Latin ending probably was influenced by vaticinari "to prophecy," also "to rave." Sense of "to have illusions" is from 1650s. Occasionally used 19c. in transitive senses, "to cause hallucination." Related: Hallucinated; hallucinating.