delude myself

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delude myself" is correct and can be used in written English.
It means to deceive or mislead oneself, often in a harmful or self-destructive way. Example: Despite overwhelming evidence, she continued to delude herself into thinking that her husband was faithful.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

But I didn't delude myself.

The New Yorker

I don't delude myself that I'm any good at this.

The New York Times - Magazine

"I'm from Long Island; I'm not going to delude myself," he says.

The New York Times - Arts

I don't delude myself that the traumatic effect of the divorce on my daughter will ever entirely vanish.

The New Yorker

The dietary side was more complicated because my ability to delude myself on this is quite great.

The Guardian

And I have worked in Washington too long to delude myself about what budgetary changes are attainable.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

I deluded myself".

The Guardian

But I was deluding myself; completely deluding myself.

The Guardian

I have never deluded myself before".

The New York Times - Books

"I don't think I'm deluding myself.

The New Yorker

I deluded myself that I could hear his pulse.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "delude myself" when you want to emphasize a strong element of self-deception, where you are actively maintaining a false belief despite evidence to the contrary. For example, "I knew the project was failing, but I continued to delude myself that it would eventually succeed."

Common error

Be mindful not to use "delude myself" when you simply mean to encourage yourself optimistically. Self-delusion involves ignoring or distorting reality, while healthy self-encouragement acknowledges challenges but focuses on potential success.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delude myself" functions as a reflexive verb phrase. It indicates that the subject is both performing the action of deluding and is the recipient of that action, meaning the person is deceiving themselves. As seen in Ludwig, "delude myself" is commonly used to express a state of self-deception.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

97%

Science

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "delude myself" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to convey self-deception. As affirmed by Ludwig AI, it is appropriate for written English and signifies actively causing oneself to believe something untrue. While versatile, it carries a neutral register and appears frequently in news and media contexts. Be mindful of the intensity of the phrase; it's a potent term best reserved for situations where self-deception is clear and potentially harmful.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fool myself

Implies self-deception, often in a less intense or serious way than "delude myself".

deceive myself

A more direct and potentially harsher synonym, suggesting a conscious act of misleading oneself.

kid myself

An informal way of saying "delude myself", often used in casual conversation.

mislead myself

Similar to "deceive myself", but can also imply unintentionally leading oneself astray.

trick myself

Suggests a cunning or deceptive act performed on oneself.

persuade myself otherwise

Focuses on convincing oneself of something that might not be true.

convince myself of a lie

Emphasizes the acceptance of a falsehood.

live in denial

Describes a state of refusing to acknowledge reality.

be in a fool's paradise

Suggests a state of blissful ignorance based on false pretenses.

turn a blind eye to the truth

Implies a conscious choice to ignore reality.

FAQs

How can I use "delude myself" in a sentence?

You can use "delude myself" to express that you are causing yourself to believe something that is not true. For example, "I tried to delude myself into thinking that everything would be okay, but deep down, I knew it wasn't."

What is the difference between "fool myself" and "delude myself"?

"Delude myself" suggests a stronger and more persistent form of self-deception than "fool myself". "Delude" implies a deeper entrenchment in false beliefs.

What are some alternatives to saying "delude myself"?

Alternatives to "delude myself" include "deceive myself", "kid myself", or "trick myself", depending on the context and the level of formality you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "delude myself"?

Yes, "delude myself" is grammatically correct. The verb "delude" requires a direct object, and in this case, the reflexive pronoun "myself" indicates that the action of deluding is directed back at the speaker.