Slang dictionary
delulu
[ dih-loo-loo ]
What does delulu mean?
Delulu is a slang shortening of the word delusional. It is especially used to describe superfans or dating partners who display odd or extreme behavior.
Delulu is used as an exaggerated synonym of delusional, especially online. The slang delulu is often used to describe people who act strangely or obsessively because of a perceived delusional mindset. It’s generally used to describe obsessed fans or dating partners who act erratically.
Delulu is most often used as an adjective, as in This fanbase is full of delulu people.
Delulu is also sometimes used as a noun, either to mean a person who appears delusional or who seems to be acting in a delusional way, as in Some delulus were waiting outside his dressing room.
Frequently, delulu is used in jokes, memes, hyperbole, or lighthearted mockery, especially in memes and social media videos depicting people acting bizarrely or obsessively.
Example: This fanfiction was born from my delulu brain.
Where does delulu come from?
Delulu is an alteration of the word delusional. The word delulu is often used to jokingly or seriously accuse someone of being or acting delusional.
The term delulu seems to have emerged from the Korean pop music (K-pop) fan community. As early as late 2013 and early 2014, members of this community often used the term delulu to describe obsessive fans—including themselves. In particular, the term delulu was often used to mock fans who believed they could somehow become romantically involved with celebrities.
Dating is allowed, but do your best not to be discovered. – SME
LOL see this? Delulu fans open your mind!
— Tweety 💎 (@jeonyoonhong) January 9, 2014
It makes me sad that celebrities never admire Changmin. This is difficult for me to say tbh. Am I being weird? Or delulu here? >.<
— Fay (@YunEverything) January 10, 2014
Luhan's face…I bet he was uncomfortable, he was so expressionless…hmm… does he miss someone?? #Luyoon haha im so delulu am i?
— 류윤 77 (@luyoon_fawnited) December 29, 2013
Delulu continued to be a very popular term within the K-pop fandom for the rest of the 2010s. By the early 2020s, delulu had spread to a more general usage online. The term became a very popular hashtag on TikTok, where it was often used in humorous videos about people acting strangely or obsessively.
Examples of delulu
Who uses delulu?
Delulu is a popular term used online. On social media, it often refers to people who act odd or obsessively, especially superfans or romantic partners.
Everything is a sign if you’re delulu enough
— Saf ⁷ ⚡️ (@Safeerah11) August 16, 2023
if being delulu was an olympic sport, id win gold
— no (@quarterpotato) August 15, 2023
i want to be as delulu as broke men who think women want them for their money.
— Ta Chustar: uBhuti we Ndawo (@CiCiSota__) August 16, 2023
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of delulu like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of delulu that will help our users expand their word mastery.