delude

/dɪˈlud/

/dɪˈlud/

Other forms: deluded; deluding; deludes

To delude is to trick or fool, often in relation to yourself. If you delude yourself into thinking your mom's chocolate cake is low in fat, you'll be disappointed to find out it's made with two sticks of butter!

If you delude someone into thinking something, you are making a fool of them, or making them foolish. The word shares a root with ludicrous which means completely ridiculous. The thing that you foolishly believe is a delusion. Someone with delusions of grandeur has deluded themselves into thinking they are very, very special.

Definitions of delude

1. verb

   be false to; be dishonest with
   synonyms: cozen, deceive, lead on

   types:

   betray, sell

   deliver to an enemy by treachery

   cheat, chisel

   engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud

   shill

   act as a shill

   flim-flam, fob, fox, play a joke on, play a trick on, play tricks, pull a fast one on, trick

   deceive somebody

   befool, fool, gull

   make a fool or dupe of

   betray, cheat, cheat on, cuckold, wander

   be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage

   hoax, play a joke on, pull someone's leg

   subject to a playful hoax or joke

   ensnare, entrap, frame, set up

   take or catch as if in a snare or trap

   humbug

   trick or deceive

   double cross

   betray by double-dealing

   job

   profit privately from public office and official business

   shark

   play the shark; act with trickery

   rig, set up

   arrange the outcome of by means of deceit

   cozen

   act with artful deceit

   crib

   use a crib, as in an exam

   two-time

   carry on a romantic relationship with two people at the same time

   cook, fake, falsify, fudge, manipulate, misrepresent, wangle

   tamper, with the purpose of deception

   snooker

   fool or dupe

   fool around, play around

   commit adultery

   type of:

   victimise, victimize

   make a victim of