delude means to deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 68 out of 100.
delude is pronounced /dɪˈluːd/.
Etymology
From Middle English deluden, borrowed from Latin dēlūdō (“mock, deceive”), from de + lūdō (“to make sport of, to mock”). See ludicrous.
verb
- To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe.“Ralph Wiggum is generally employed as a bottomless fount of glorious non sequiturs, but in “I Love Lisa” he stands in for every oblivious chump who ever deluded himself into thinking that with persistence, determination, and a pure heart he can win the girl of his dreams.”
- To frustrate or disappoint.“It deludes thy search.”