Synonyms of mirage

mirage

noun

as in daydream

something that comes from or exists only in the mind and is not real

He thought he saw water up ahead but it was just a mirage.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• daydream
• dream
• illusion
• delusion
• nightmare
• vision
• unreality
• phantasy
• chimera
• phantasm
• hallucination
• figment
• fantasy
• optical illusion
• pipe dream
• fantasm
• fabrication
• fiction
• visualization
• concoction
• nonentity
• idea
• ignis fatuus
• conceit
• apparition
• imaging
• fancy
• utopia
• brainchild
• fable
• cloudland
• will-o'-the-wisp
• appearance
• envisaging
• Shangri-la
• imaginativeness
• invention
• ideation
• creativity
• contrivance
• daymare
• inventiveness
• originality
• mind's eye

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fact
• reality
• actuality

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mirage contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mirage are delusion, hallucination, and illusion. While all these words mean "something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal," mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Where would delusion be a reasonable alternative to mirage?

The words delusion and mirage can be used in similar contexts, but delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

When could hallucination be used to replace mirage?

In some situations, the words hallucination and mirage are roughly equivalent. However, hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

When can illusion be used instead of mirage?

While the synonyms illusion and mirage are close in meaning, illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mirage

The technological barriers that were supposed to protect America’s AI dominance, from advanced chips to massive data centers, are more mirage than fortress. —Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2025

Too bad for them, and for us, the series’ main plot conceit is indeed a mirage, a fake-out trick that crumbles upon closer inspection and isn’t developed enough. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2025

But other experts say this image of resilience is a mirage – one carefully curated by the Kremlin to make its adversaries think Russia’s economy is in good shape. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025

Like a mirage, an enigmatic gardener (Erkan Kolçak Köstendil) enters the frame with a proposition Ali can’t refuse, or maybe willed into being himself. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025

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