Hallucinating: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in medical or psychological contexts to describe a state where a person sees or hears things that are not real. It often indicates a serious condition.

• After taking the medication, he started hallucinating and saw shapes on the walls.
• People with high fevers can sometimes start hallucinating.

Typically used to describe someone who has strong beliefs about something that is not true. This term often has a negative connotation and is used in both medical and everyday contexts.

• She was delusional, believing she was a famous actress when she was not.
• Calling someone delusional can seriously hurt their feelings.

Commonly used in everyday language to describe someone thinking about something that is not real. It usually has a neutral or positive connotation.

• She spent the afternoon imagining her upcoming vacation.
• He is always imagining new inventions.

Often used in informal settings to describe someone who believes they are perceiving something that is not there. It can have a slightly negative connotation.

• Are you sure you saw that? Maybe you're just seeing things.
• Sometimes, when I’m very tired, I start seeing things that aren't real.

Used when someone is experiencing sights, sounds, or other sensory inputs that are not actually present. This term is commonly used in medical or psychological contexts.

• After taking the medication, she started hallucinating and saw people that weren't there.
• He was so sleep-deprived that he began hallucinating.

Describes understanding or interpreting something incorrectly. It is typically used in more formal or analytical discussions, such as in psychology or philosophy.

• Under stress, people might perceive threats that are not truly there, thus perceiving falsely.
• The optical illusion caused many to perceive falsely the size of the objects.

Describes a false perception or deceptive appearance of something. It can refer to both psychological phenomena and tricks or deceptions designed to entertain or confuse.

• The magician's trick was just an illusion, but it amazed the audience.
• Mirages in the desert are optical illusions caused by refraction of light.

Used when someone understands something incorrectly or gets the wrong idea about what they see, hear, or read. It is often used in everyday conversation to point out mistakes.

• She misinterpreted his smile as a sign of arrogance.
• He didn't mean to offend you; you might have misinterpreted his words.