illusions

NOUN

false appearance; false belief

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confusion deception delusion fantasy hallucination image misconception myth pipe dream semblance

STRONG

apparition bubble chimera daydream error fallacy fancy ghost hocus-pocus invention make-believe mirage misapprehension mockery paramnesia phantasm rainbow trip

WEAK

déjà vu false impression figment of imagination fool's paradise head trip idolism ignus fatuus misbelief misimpression optical illusion seeming virtual reality

Antonyms

STRONGEST

fact reality truth

STRONG

being certainty correction right

WEAK

event

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.

"He would never do that, let's not have any illusions," said Tikhanovskaya, who recently returned from a trip to Kyiv.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

In a clever piece of installation design, shelves built around the screen bring the painting’s illusions to life, displaying real bronzes, porcelains, texts and scholarly objects from Lee’s collection—modern curation fulfilling classical cultural capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Put simply, physics appears to allow the possibility that our memories are not reliable records but instead detailed illusions produced by chance.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

After that, there were no illusions about it.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

Though I find it hard to trust that my good fortune will continue, I am under no illusions about what I’ve left behind.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline