hallucinate

verb

hal·​lu·​ci·​nate hə-ˈlü-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce hallucinate (audio)
hallucinated; hallucinating

transitive verb

1
: to affect with visions or imaginary perceptions
2
: to perceive or experience as a hallucination
hallucinator noun

Examples of hallucinate in a Sentence

The patient may hallucinate if she has a fever.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s always the fear that AI is going to hallucinate or come to a conclusion that just doesn’t make sense. Megan Poinski, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 Throughout the movie, Callas hallucinates that TV cameras are follow her, and behaves as if she is being interviewed although no one is there. Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024 Some were under the impression that their metrics were wonky, even suspecting that AI had hallucinated some of the data. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 Screenwriter Steven Knight even has her stroll around with an imaginary character named Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a TV reporter she’s hallucinated into existence in order to feel important. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hallucinate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin hallucinatus, past participle of hallucinari, allucinari to prate, dream, modification of Greek alyein to be distressed, to wander

First Known Use

circa 1834, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hallucinate was circa 1834

Dictionary Entries Near hallucinate

Cite this Entry

“Hallucinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallucinate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hallucinate

verb
hal·​lu·​ci·​nate hə-ˈlüs-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce hallucinate (audio)
hallucinated; hallucinating
: to have hallucinations or experience as a hallucination

Medical Definition

hallucinate

verb
hal·​lu·​ci·​nate hə-ˈlüs-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce hallucinate (audio)
hallucinated; hallucinating

transitive verb

1
: to affect with visions or imaginary perceptions
the patient is not hallucinated
2
: to perceive or experience as a hallucination
may hallucinate monsters or attackersM. J. Horowitz

More from Merriam-Webster on hallucinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!