“Deluded” is an adjective that means misled, having false beliefs, or being deceived. Here are some synonyms and their analyses:
1. Deceived
- Meaning: To be misled or tricked into believing something that is not true. For example, “She was deceived by his false promises.”
- Usage difference: “Deceived” often implies an external agent or factor that causes the false belief. It emphasizes the act of being misled by someone else's trickery or false information. In contrast, “deluded” can also suggest an internal process where a person convinces themselves of something false, not just because of external deception.
2. Misled
- Meaning: To be led in the wrong direction or given wrong information that causes a false belief. For example, “The false advertisement misled consumers into thinking the product had magical properties.”
- Usage difference: “Misled” is similar to “deceived” in that it focuses on the wrong direction or false information provided. It can be used when someone is given inaccurate guidance. “Deluded” has a stronger connotation of a person's own self - deception or a more persistent false belief that might not have a clear - cut origin of external misinformation like “misled” often implies.
3. Duped
- Meaning: To be tricked or cheated into believing or doing something. For example, “He was duped into buying a worthless antique.”
- Usage difference: “Duped” emphasizes the aspect of being tricked or swindled. It often implies a sense of naivety on the part of the person who is duped. “Deluded” is more about a state of mind where a person holds onto a false belief, which might not necessarily involve being cheated by others as “duped” does.
4. Gullible
- Meaning: Easily deceived or tricked; too willing to believe what others say. For example, “The gullible tourist believed every story the street vendor told him.”
- Usage difference: “Gullible” describes a person's characteristic of being easily misled. It's a trait rather than a state of being misled like “deluded.” A gullible person is prone to being deceived, but “deluded” refers to the actual state of having a false belief, whether due to personal weakness or other factors.
5. Hallucinating (in a non - medical sense)
- Meaning: To have a false or distorted perception, often in a mental or imaginative way. For example, “He was hallucinating a world of his own where he was a famous hero.”
- Usage difference: “Hallucinating” in this context implies a more extreme form of false perception. It's usually used in a more figurative way to suggest a person is imagining things that are not real. “Deluded” is a broader term that can cover a range of false beliefs, not just those that involve such vivid or extreme false perceptions as “hallucinating” might imply.