brainwashed
Coerced into believing
Brainwashed describes someone whose beliefs or thinking have been fundamentally altered through intense psychological pressure or propaganda.
The term suggests a person has been manipulated into accepting ideas they wouldn't have chosen freely: He emerged from the cult completely brainwashed.
It's often used loosely to dismiss anyone with views the speaker finds inexplicably wrong: You've been brainwashed by the media.
Biased information for influence
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- radicalizeConvert to extreme ideology
- reeducateInstill revised beliefs
- doctrineEstablished body of teachings
dogma · ideology · inculcate · catechize · conditioning · programming · cult · teachings
Easily influenced or affected
- suggestibleEasily influenced by others
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- gullibleEasily deceived
- naiveInnocently unsuspecting
trusting · compliant · submissive · docile · malleable · receptive · persuadable · credulous
Manipulation causing self-doubt
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- psychologicalOf the mind
- subliminalBelow threshold of awareness
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
mislead · programming · suggestion · distortion · hypnosis · influence · exploit · deceive
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- radicalizeConvert to extreme ideology
- reeducateInstill revised beliefs
doctrine · dogma · ideology · inculcate · catechize · conditioning · programming · cult · teachings · belief
impressionable
Easily influenced or affected
- suggestibleEasily influenced by others
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- gullibleEasily deceived
naive · trusting · compliant · submissive · docile · malleable · receptive · persuadable · credulous · unwitting
gaslighting
Manipulation causing self-doubt
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- psychologicalOf the mind
- subliminalBelow threshold of awareness
deception · mislead · programming · suggestion · distortion · hypnosis · influence · exploit · deceive · control
brainwashedfree-thinking
Independently minded
autonomous · self-directed · freethinking · unindoctrinated · deprogrammed
brainwashedclear-eyed
Perceiving without distortion
lucid · aware · enlightened · disabused · undeceived
brainwash, brainwashing, brainwashes, brainwasher, brainwashable