hallucination

noun

hə-ˌlü-sə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce hallucination (audio)
Definition of hallucinationnext
1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality were the voices real, or merely a hallucination?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delusion
a false idea or belief the common hallucination that gluttony during the holiday season doesn't have consequences

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun hallucination contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hallucination are delusion, illusion, and mirage. While all these words mean "something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal," hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

When is it sensible to use delusion instead of hallucination?

The words delusion and hallucination are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

When can illusion be used instead of hallucination?

Although the words illusion and hallucination have much in common, illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

When is mirage a more appropriate choice than hallucination?

While in some cases nearly identical to hallucination, mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hallucination Eating mushrooms that contain psilocybin can have various effects, ranging from euphoria to hallucinations, according to the agency. —Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025 Cold, calculating, honey-tongued and libido-free, with only the occasional lie or hallucination. —Ian Chaffee, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025 Severe disease, however, often presents within two weeks of illness, causing confusion, agitation and hallucinations, the above source states. —Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025 At the higher doses, most people had brief hallucinations or visual distortions, along with some nausea and headaches. —Dr. Christian S. Monsalve, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hallucination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hallucination
  1. illusion
  2. delusion
  3. dream
  4. myth
  5. daydream
  6. error
  7. fantasy
  8. vision
Noun
  • The journey evolves, when the sculpture is backlit with a cool white front light to showcase the illusion that the figure and its environment are immersed under water.
    — Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Women are sort of forced into maintaining youth or the illusion of youth.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • The music business, theater, Hollywood — these are obvious places to find folks who live in constant delusion, not to mention places Guest was already well familiar with.
    — Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Notably, Illinois banned AI therapy after research found chatbot therapists fuel delusions, and California is close to becoming the first state to restrict companion bots to protect kids.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • The dream drive package includes private transfer to The Barn, Napa Valley Car Club's exclusive clubhouse, post-drive drinks and stories and return transfer.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • That dream never manifested, and eventually, the republican government’s international legitimacy was transferred to the surging mainland.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of dream
Noun
  • The Cortège Out on the cricket fields at The Los Angeles Equestrian Center, an experiential open-air event is bringing together dance, sound, light, puppetry, costume, myth, and robotic canines.
    — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The myth of Chinese tunnels has circulated for more than a century.
    — Beth Lew-Williams, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of myth
Noun
  • Designers leaned into loose, chemise-style dresses that evoked a European countryside sensibility (cue the daydream of wandering through a field of lilacs).
    — Jalil Johnson, Refinery29, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Ellen retreats to her room and daydreams of her father, who understood his headstrong daughter.
    — Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of daydream
Noun
  • The Mets have minimal room for error.
    — Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • There is a notable chance that the code will have some number of errors.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of error
Noun
  • The Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido, a 1908 Moorish fantasy commissioned by entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, boasts Byzantine domes and an eclectic façade that have sheltered everyone from Winston Churchill to Erroll Flynn, from Greta Garbo to Clark Gable.
    — Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • His storyline becomes a quest for truth within a shelter built on fantasies and populated by liars.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of fantasy
Noun
  • The way Zohran Mamdani—the son of an Indian-Ugandan Muslim scholar of Africa—has repudiated these values, along with his adherence to a cosmopolitan vision of peace and justice, guarantees extreme hostility to him among the Establishment.
    — Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
    — Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of vision

Browse Nearby Words

hallucinating
hallucination
hallucinations
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Cite this Entry

“Hallucination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hallucination. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hallucination

Nglish: Translation of hallucination for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hallucination

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