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Illusion synonyms

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phantasm
A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
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  1. A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
  2. (Philos.) A mental impression of a real person or thing
  3. Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition.
pipe dream
(Informal) A fantastic idea, vain hope or plan, etc.
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  1. (Informal) A fantastic idea, vain hope or plan, etc.
  2. A fantastic notion or vain hope.
fancy
The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature.
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  1. The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature.
  2. (Rare) Critical taste or judgment in art, dress, etc.
  3. The enthusiasts or fans of a sport or pursuit considered as a group.
hallucination
The imaginary object apparently seen, heard, etc.
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  1. The imaginary object apparently seen, heard, etc.
  2. The apparent perception of sights, sounds, etc. that are not actually present: it may occur in certain mental disorders
  3. Perception of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory experiences without an external stimulus and with a compelling sense of their reality, usually resulting from a mental disorder or as a response to a drug.
mirage
(Figuratively) An illusion.
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  1. (Figuratively) An illusion.
  2. Something that falsely appears to be real
  3. An image formed under certain atmospheric conditions, in which objects appear to be reflected or displaced or in which nonexistent objects seem to appear. For example, the difference in the index of refraction between a low layer of very hot air and a higher level of cold air can cause light rays, travelling down from an object (such as the sky or a cloud) and passing through ever warmer air, to be refracted back up again. An observer viewing these light rays perceives them coming up off the ground, and thus sees the inverted image of the object, which appears lower than the object really is. In this way the sky itself can be reflected, resulting in the mirage of a distant lake.
apparition
A phantom or ghost
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  1. A phantom or ghost
  2. A ghostly figure; a specter.
  3. Anything that appears unexpectedly or in an extraordinary way
ghost
The spirit of a dead person, especially one that is believed to appear to the living in bodily form or to haunt specific locations.
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  1. The spirit of a dead person, especially one that is believed to appear to the living in bodily form or to haunt specific locations.
  2. A returning or haunting memory or image.
  3. A faint, unwanted image, as:
chimera
(Greek Mythology) A fire-breathing female monster usually represented as a composite of a lion, goat, and serpent.
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  1. (Greek Mythology) A fire-breathing female monster usually represented as a composite of a lion, goat, and serpent.
  2. An imaginary monster made up of grotesquely disparate parts.
  3. (Gr. Myth., proper) A fire-breathing monster, usually represented as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail
delusion
A false belief or opinion:
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  1. A false belief or opinion:
  2. A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts.
  3. A false belief or perception strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness, as in schizophrenia.
deception
A ruse; a trick.
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  1. A ruse; a trick.
  2. The fact or condition of being deceived
  3. The use of deceit.
fantasy
An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.
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  1. An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.
  2. A work of fiction portraying highly characters or settings that have no counterparts in the real world
  3. (Music) A coin issued especially by a questionable authority and not intended for use as currency.
dream
A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
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  1. A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
  2. (Informal) One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful:
  3. A wild fancy or unrealistic hope:
vision
The ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness or keen foresight
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  1. The ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness or keen foresight
  2. The faculty of sight; eyesight:
  3. The mystical experience of seeing something that is not in fact present to the eye or is supernatural.
image
A mental picture of something not real or present:
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  1. A mental picture of something not real or present:
  2. The concept or character projected to the public, as by a person or institution, especially as interpreted by the mass media:
  3. A vivid description or representation in words, especially a metaphor or simile:
optical-illusion
An illusion resulting from any of various visual effects that cause a viewer to misunderstand or misinterpret what he or she actually sees
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  1. An illusion resulting from any of various visual effects that cause a viewer to misunderstand or misinterpret what he or she actually sees
  2. A visually perceived image that is deceptive or misleading.
myth
Such stories considered as a group:
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  1. Such stories considered as a group:
  2. A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal:
  3. A traditional story of unknown authorship, ostensibly with a historical basis, but serving usually to explain some phenomenon of nature, the origin of man, or the customs, institutions, religious rites, etc. of a people: myths usually involve the exploits of gods and heroes
make-believe
The act of pretending that what is imaginary is real.
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  1. The act of pretending that what is imaginary is real.
  2. Alternative form of make-believe.
  3. The quality or act of pretending; assuming something is true when in fact one knows it is not.
paramnesia
An inability to remember the meaning of common words
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  1. An inability to remember the meaning of common words
  2. Distortion of memory with confusion of fact and fantasy
  3. A distortion of memory in which fantasy and objective experience are confused.
will-o'-the-wisp
(Idiomatic, British folklore) A strange light that attracts travellers from pathways into dangerous marshes or graveyards.
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  1. (Idiomatic, British folklore) A strange light that attracts travellers from pathways into dangerous marshes or graveyards.
  2. Alternative spelling of will o' the wisp.
  3. Any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach
delusion
A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts.
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  1. A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts.
  2. (Psychiatry) A false, persistent belief maintained in spite of evidence to the contrary
  3. A false belief or perception strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness, as in schizophrenia.
confusion
(Psychology) Impaired orientation with respect to time, place, or person; a disturbed mental state.
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  1. (Psychology) Impaired orientation with respect to time, place, or person; a disturbed mental state.
  2. The act of confusing or the state of being confused:
  3. Embarrassment
delusion
That which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief.
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  1. That which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief.
  2. A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts.
  3. A false belief or perception strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness, as in schizophrenia.
hallucination
The apparent perception of sights, sounds, etc. that are not actually present: it may occur in certain mental disorders
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  1. The apparent perception of sights, sounds, etc. that are not actually present: it may occur in certain mental disorders
  2. The imaginary object apparently seen, heard, etc.
  3. Perception of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory stimuli in the absence of any external objects or events and with a compelling sense of their reality, resulting from certain mental and physical disorders or as a response to a drug.
ignis fatuus
A deceptive hope, goal, or influence; delusion
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  1. A deceptive hope, goal, or influence; delusion
  2. Something that misleads or deludes; an illusion.
  3. A light seen at night moving over swamps or marshy places, believed to be caused by the combustion of gases arising from decaying organic matter
mirage
(Figuratively) An illusion.
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  1. (Figuratively) An illusion.
  2. Something that falsely appears to be real
  3. An image formed under certain atmospheric conditions, in which objects appear to be reflected or displaced or in which nonexistent objects seem to appear. For example, the difference in the index of refraction between a low layer of very hot air and a higher level of cold air can cause light rays, travelling down from an object (such as the sky or a cloud) and passing through ever warmer air, to be refracted back up again. An observer viewing these light rays perceives them coming up off the ground, and thus sees the inverted image of the object, which appears lower than the object really is. In this way the sky itself can be reflected, resulting in the mirage of a distant lake.
phantasm
A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
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  1. A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
  2. (Philos.) A mental impression of a real person or thing
  3. Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition.
phantasma
Alternative form of phantasm.
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  1. Alternative form of phantasm.
will-o'-the-wisp
(Idiomatic, British folklore) A strange light that attracts travellers from pathways into dangerous marshes or graveyards.
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  1. (Idiomatic, British folklore) A strange light that attracts travellers from pathways into dangerous marshes or graveyards.
  2. Alternative spelling of will o' the wisp.
  3. Any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach
daydream
A spontaneous and fanciful series of thoughts while awake not connected to immediate reality.
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  1. A spontaneous and fanciful series of thoughts while awake not connected to immediate reality.
  2. A pleasant, dreamlike thinking or wishing; reverie
  3. A dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake, especially of the fulfillment of wishes or hopes.
dream
A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
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  1. A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
  2. (Informal) One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful:
  3. A wild fancy or unrealistic hope:
fancy
The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature.
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  1. The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature.
  2. The enthusiasts or fans of a sport or pursuit considered as a group.
  3. (Rare) Critical taste or judgment in art, dress, etc.
fantasy
An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.
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  1. An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.
  2. (Music) A coin issued especially by a questionable authority and not intended for use as currency.
  3. A genre of fiction or other artistic work characterized by fanciful or supernatural elements.
fiction
Works in this category:
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  1. Works in this category:
  2. Something accepted as fact for the sake of convenience, although not necessarily true
  3. Narrative, explanatory material, or belief that is not true or has been imagined or fabricated:
figment
Something invented, made up, or fabricated:
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  1. Something invented, made up, or fabricated:
phantasm
A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
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  1. A perception of something that has no physical reality; figment of the mind; esp., a specter, or ghost
  2. (Philos.) A mental impression of a real person or thing
  3. Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition.
phantasma
Alternative form of phantasm.
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  1. Alternative form of phantasm.
reverie
A dreamy, fanciful, or visionary notion or daydream
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  1. A dreamy, fanciful, or visionary notion or daydream
  2. Dreamy thinking or imagining, esp. of agreeable things; fanciful musing; daydreaming
  3. An extravagant conceit of the imagination; a vision.
vision
The mystical experience of seeing something that is not in fact present to the eye or is supernatural.
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  1. The mystical experience of seeing something that is not in fact present to the eye or is supernatural.
  2. Unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight:
  3. The faculty of sight; eyesight:
bubble
A usually oval outline, as on a ballot or a standardized test form, intended to be filled in using a pencil or pen.
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  1. A usually oval outline, as on a ballot or a standardized test form, intended to be filled in using a pencil or pen.
  2. Something light or effervescent:
  3. A rounded or irregularly shaped outline containing the words that a character in a cartoon is represented to be saying.
castle in the air
An imaginary scheme not likely to be realized; daydream
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  1. An imaginary scheme not likely to be realized; daydream
chimera
An impossible or foolish fancy
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  1. An impossible or foolish fancy
  2. An organism, organ, or part consisting of two or more tissues of different genetic composition, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering.
  3. (Gr. Myth., proper) A fire-breathing monster, usually represented as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail
dream
A state of abstraction; a trance:
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  1. A state of abstraction; a trance:
  2. Anything so lovely, charming, transitory, etc. as to seem dreamlike
  3. A wild fancy or unrealistic hope:
fantasy
Something, such as an invention, that is a creation of the fancy.
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  1. Something, such as an invention, that is a creation of the fancy.
  2. (Music) A coin issued especially by a questionable authority and not intended for use as currency.
  3. A work of fiction portraying highly characters or settings that have no counterparts in the real world
rainbow
An arc or ring containing the colors of the spectrum in consecutive bands, formed in the sky by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light in rain or fog
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  1. An arc or ring containing the colors of the spectrum in consecutive bands, formed in the sky by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light in rain or fog
  2. A similar arc or band, as one produced by a prism or by iridescence.
  3. An arc-shaped spectrum of color seen in the sky opposite the Sun, especially after rain, caused by the refraction and reflection of sunlight by droplets of water suspended in the air. Secondary rainbows that are larger and paler sometimes appear within the primary arc with the colors reversed (red being inside). These result from two reflections and refractions of a light ray inside a droplet.

Synonym Study

  • Mirage refers to an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, and, in figurative use, implies an unrealizable hope or aspiration
  • Hallucination implies the apparent perception, in nervous or mental disorder, of something external that is actually not present
  • Delusion implies belief in something that is contrary to fact or reality, resulting from deception, a misconception, or a mental disorder to have delusions of grandeur
  • Illusion suggests the false perception or interpretation of something that has objective existence perspective in drawing gives the illusion of depth
Find another word for illusion. In this page you can discover 58 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for illusion, like: phantasm, pipe dream, fancy, hallucination, mirage, apparition, ghost, chimera, delusion, deception and fantasy.

Sentence Examples

  • Whether it was so, or merely chance or illusion, no one knows.

  • In some passages the poet seems to take delight in casting dramatic illusion to the winds.

  • During this time the illusion of a wheel or wheels produced by the ciliary action of the disk had puzzled all observers.

  • He was under no illusion as to their achievements; his memoir on the work of the congress of Vienna is at once an incisive piece of criticism and a monument of his own disillusionment.

  • FAITH HEALING, a form of "mind cure," characterized by the doctrine that while pain and disease really exist, they may be neutralized and dispelled by faith in Divine power; the doctrine known as Christian Science holds, however, that pain is only an illusion and seeks to cure the patient by instilling into him this belief.

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