Looking for synonyms for self-deception? We’ve got you covered!
Here’s a list of other ways to say self-deception.
- Delusion
- Self-delusion
- Denial
- Illusion
- Fantasy
- Wishful thinking
- Self-deceit
- False belief
- Make-believe
- Unreality
- Self-denial
- Deception
- Hallucination
- Misbelief
- Daydreaming
- Fantasizing
- Fallacy
- Pipe dream
- Mirage
- Fool’s paradise
Want to learn how to say self-deception professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.
1. Delusion
Appropriate use: A belief held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.
Example: “The belief that the company could succeed without adapting to market changes was a delusion.”
2. Self-delusion
Appropriate use: The act of deceiving oneself or the state of being deceived by oneself.
Example: “His self-delusion about his managerial skills led to poor team performance.”
3. Denial
Appropriate use: Refusal to acknowledge an unacceptable truth or emotion.
Example: “There was a sense of denial about the impending financial troubles within the company.”
4. Illusion
Appropriate use: A false idea or belief.
Example: “The illusion of market stability soon dissipated as the economy entered a recession.”
5. Fantasy
Appropriate use: An unrealistic or improbable supposition.
Example: “The CEO’s plans for expansion were nothing more than a fantasy given the company’s financial state.”
6. Wishful thinking
Appropriate use: The attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true.
Example: “Assuming the product will be an instant success without market research is mere wishful thinking.”
7. Self-deceit
Appropriate use: The action or practice of allowing oneself to believe that a false or unvalidated feeling, idea, or situation is true.
Example: “He was engaged in self-deceit about the company’s compliance with regulations.”
8. False belief
Appropriate use: A belief that is not based on facts or is incorrect.
Example: “The manager’s false belief in the infallibility of his decisions led to critical oversights.”
9. Make-believe
Appropriate use: Pretending that things are different from the way they really are.
Example: “The make-believe scenario of achieving high profits without investment hindered realistic planning.”
10. Unreality
Appropriate use: Something that is unrealistic or imaginary.
Example: “The board was living in a state of unreality about the company’s dire financial situation.”
11. Self-denial
Appropriate use: Refusal to accept that one’s own wishes, needs, or feelings are valid or important.
Example: “His self-denial about the need for a more balanced work life led to burnout.”
12. Deception
Appropriate use: The act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.
Example: “The marketing claims bordered on deception, misleading customers about the product’s capabilities.”
13. Hallucination
Appropriate use: A perception of having seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled something that wasn’t actually present.
Example: “His vision for the company was nothing more than a hallucination, far removed from reality.”
14. Misbelief
Appropriate use: A wrong or mistaken belief.
Example: “There was a common misbelief in the office that the project was guaranteed to succeed.”
15. Daydreaming
Appropriate use: A series of pleasant thoughts that distract one’s attention from the present.
Example: “While daydreaming about potential profits, he failed to recognize the risks involved in the venture.”
16. Fantasizing
Appropriate use: Imagining improbable or impossible things.
Example: “The team spent more time fantasizing about success than working towards it.”
17. Fallacy
Appropriate use: A mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments.
Example: “The strategy was based on the fallacy that the market would remain stable.”
18. Pipe dream
Appropriate use: An unattainable or fanciful hope or scheme.
Example: “Expanding to international markets within the year is a pipe dream without substantial investment.”
19. Mirage
Appropriate use: An illusion that appears real but is impossible to reach.
Example: “The idea of dominating the market without any competition was a mirage.”
20. Fool’s paradise
Appropriate use: A state of happiness based on false hope or illusions.
Example: “Believing that the business could thrive without adapting to digital trends was living in a fool’s paradise.”
