What does delude mean?
Word: Delude
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Delude means to make someone, often yourself, believe something that is not true.
Synonyms: fool, mislead
Word origin: Comes from Latin deludere, built on ludere.
How do you spell delude?
Syllables: de - lude
Tricky part: Delude sounds close to dilute, and the two get crossed when you write in a hurry. Check the sense of your sentence before you choose.
Watch out for: dellude, delute
Memory tip: A person who deludes herself is daydreaming, and the two d letters of daydream match the two in this word.
Delude in a sentence
Example 1: The glossy brochure may delude visitors into expecting an empty beach in peak season.
Example 2: Do not delude yourself that the last bus will wait for you.
Example 3: He deluded himself into believing that the old kite string would hold.
Fun Fact
In Latin, deludere meant to mock someone. By the time the word settled in English, in the late Middle Ages, the sense had moved to misleading the mind.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order: e, u, e
a) s_l_t_
b) c_ns_m_
c) tr_b_t_
d) d_l_d_
Show answer
d) d_l_d_. Those three vowels complete delude; the others take i, u, e or o, u, e or a, u, e.
Word Twins
Choose the correct option to fill both blanks:
1. Let us not ___ ourselves: one evening of revision will not cover the whole syllabus. 2. Mix in some cold water to ___ the mango squash before serving it.
a) 'delude' in both
b) dilute/delude
c) 'dilute' in both
d) delude/dilute
Show answer
d) delude/dilute. You can fool yourself about revision, and you thin a strong drink with water.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option: Delude comes from the Latin word ludere. What did ludere mean?
a) to write
b) to play
c) to teach
d) to plan
Show answer
b) to play. Ludere meant to play, so to delude someone is to play a trick on their mind.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. delude 2. deluge 3. deluxe 4. delta
a) 4213
b) 1243
c) 4132
d) 4123
Show answer
d) 4123. All begin with del, and t comes before u; among the u words the next letters run d, g, x.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Advertisements must not delude buyers. What should an honest advert do?
a) use the brightest colours it can find
b) state what the product really does
c) appear on as many channels as possible
d) show a famous actor holding the product
Show answer
b) state what the product really does
2. Which thought shows a student deluding herself?
a) I can skip all practice and still win.
b) I will ask the coach for some help.
c) I need more practice before the race.
d) I might come third if I train well.
Show answer
a) I can skip all practice and still win.
