deludes
Leads astray mentally
Deludes means deceives or misleads, especially by causing someone to believe something false.
The word typically implies self-deception or willing acceptance of illusion: He deludes himself into thinking she'll come back.
To delude is to foster false beliefs, whether in oneself or others: Don't let flattery delude you into complacency.
Causes false belief
- misleadsCauses false belief
- tricksDeceptive acts or techniques
- foolsIdiots or deceives
- dupesDeceives or victims
hoodwinks · beguiles · cons · swindles · bamboozles · manipulates · gulls · snookers
Perception without external cause
- mirageAtmospheric optical deception
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- chimeraUnrealistic fantasy or hybrid
- figmentImagined thing, unreal
phantasm · apparition · vision · daydream · make-believe · wishful thinking · pipe dream · castle in the air
Exaggerated sense of significance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- megalomaniaObsession with one's importance
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
overconfidence · ego · superiority complex · self-aggrandizement · pomposity · arrogance · conceit · pretension
deceives
Causes false belief
dupes · hoodwinks · beguiles · cons · swindles · bamboozles · manipulates · gulls · snookers · bluffs
hallucination
Perception without external cause
- mirageAtmospheric optical deception
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- chimeraUnrealistic fantasy or hybrid
figment · phantasm · apparition · vision · daydream · make-believe · wishful thinking · pipe dream · castle in the air · fool's paradise
self-importance
Exaggerated sense of significance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- megalomaniaObsession with one's importance
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
vanity · overconfidence · ego · superiority complex · self-aggrandizement · pomposity · arrogance · conceit · pretension · grandiosity
deludesenlightens
Imparts knowledge or insight
disabuses · informs · educates · sets straight · corrects