1
as in illusory
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2
as in delusionary
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Recent Examples of delusional
The antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine, derived from a clothing dye called methylene blue, was first tested on agitated and delusional patients in 1952.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Viewers flooded the post with reactions ranging from heart-melting to hilariously delusional, with declarations of wanting to cuddle the bear and questions about the sheer size of his bathtub filling the comment section.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
Among the many obsessive bloggers and observers who cover the industry, the idea was mostly treated as so improbable, even delusional, as to be not even worth taking seriously.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Some incels use the term in a derogatory fashion, believing those who aspire to ascension are delusional.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026
Warriors coach Steve Kerr emerged from the chaos that was Sunday’s 117-116 loss to Houston and offered a quote that felt like a Rorschach test for the delusional or drunk (off Steph Curry’s brilliance, of course).
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
When this fails to happen—and her hopes of marrying off a perfect daughter are dashed—Barbara grows hateful and ultimately delusional.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The study found that a technological flaw already tied to some high-profile cases of delusional and suicidal behavior in vulnerable populations is also pervasive across a wide range of people’s interactions with chatbots.
—Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s perhaps for the best, given the ongoing discussions surrounding AI psychosis, a troubling trend that has caused an alarming wave of mental health crises as the tech coaxes some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Viewers flooded the post with reactions ranging from heart-melting to hilariously delusional, with declarations of wanting to cuddle the bear and questions about the sheer size of his bathtub filling the comment section.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
Among the many obsessive bloggers and observers who cover the industry, the idea was mostly treated as so improbable, even delusional, as to be not even worth taking seriously.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Some incels use the term in a derogatory fashion, believing those who aspire to ascension are delusional.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026
Warriors coach Steve Kerr emerged from the chaos that was Sunday’s 117-116 loss to Houston and offered a quote that felt like a Rorschach test for the delusional or drunk (off Steph Curry’s brilliance, of course).
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
When this fails to happen—and her hopes of marrying off a perfect daughter are dashed—Barbara grows hateful and ultimately delusional.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The study found that a technological flaw already tied to some high-profile cases of delusional and suicidal behavior in vulnerable populations is also pervasive across a wide range of people’s interactions with chatbots.
—Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s perhaps for the best, given the ongoing discussions surrounding AI psychosis, a troubling trend that has caused an alarming wave of mental health crises as the tech coaxes some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusional
Adjective
-
The idea that transparency offers a route to closure is already proving illusory.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Its sense of one of the most famous buildings in world history is romantic, fantasy filled and illusory.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Experts say the directive could expedite studies on how psychedelic and hallucinatory drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Scenic designer Beowulf Boritt’s quaint tearoom seems both real and hallucinatory, with a melancholy rain pouring down in the background.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Explanations abounded, many of them paranoid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t callousness or delusive optimism but, rather, a rebellion against the suffocating expectation that the elderly have foreclosed the possibility of joy.—
Hillary Kelly,
The New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2024
-
To separate art from its historical framework is futile, and to reject it in an effort to censor past violence is a delusive act of virtue signaling.—
WSJ,
WSJ,
5 July 2022
Adjective
-
Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Moore acknowledged that Fahim was schizophrenic, but argued that the killings were driven by Fahim’s anger at his workplace dispute with Cuomo, not his mental illness.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
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In many-minded terms, an octopus’s natural life spans so many lives that the one-minded might call it unnatural or even schizophrenic.—
Mandy-Suzanne Wong,
Longreads,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Elaborate stages are built for the camera close-ups as much as the crowd, often featuring prefab cinematic interludes, ornately detailed costumes, titillating dance moves and surreal, maximalist graphics.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The White House press briefing room took on a surreal appearance as the speakers and interrogators dressed in tuxedoes and evening gowns for one of the most elegant and anticipated parties of the year became a crime scene instead.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This uber-neurotic comedian, actor, writer and now recording artist has spent the better part of two decades making audiences laugh, cringe, and cry, often within the same breath.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The original Malcolm in the Middle, in the early 2000s, starred Frankie Muniz as the analytical, neurotic protagonist narrating his family’s daily misadventures.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delusional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusional. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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