self-deceived
Americanadjective
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holding an erroneous opinion of oneself, one's own effort, or the like.
-
being mistaken, forming an erroneous judgment, etc., in one's own mind, as from careless or wishful thinking.
If you thought my friendship was love, you were self-deceived.
Etymology
Origin of self-deceived
First recorded in 1665–75
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.
When they are not merely self-deceived, Strout’s characters struggle with isolation and despair.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
Maybe I’m no less self-deceived than anyone else.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 28, 2019
We know Mumler was a fraud, but we don’t know what kind of fraud — self-deceived true believer, confidence man or both?
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2017
Beatrice and Benedick are self-deceived in that they believe their heads can sternly rule their hearts.
From Time Magazine Archive
She was probably a mere lunatic, whose ravings ran in the popular groove, and who was not so much deceiving, as self-deceived by insanity.
From Witch Stories by Linton, E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
