disillusion
gb/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən/ us/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
make someone lose faith
to make someone stop believing in something because they learn the truth
Usage pattern:
disillusion [someone] (about [something])
Common mistake:
Learners often use it intransitively (e.g., “I disillusion”)—it is usually transitive (“It disillusioned me”) or used as “be disillusioned.”
Synonyms
disenchant (Slightly more literary; emphasizes loss of charm or magic.)
|
discourage (Weaker; focuses on reducing confidence rather than exposing a false belief.)
|
disappoint (More general; does not always involve losing an illusion or ideal.)
Antonyms
inspire (Gives someone hope or strong positive belief.)
|
reassure (Restores confidence rather than taking it away.)
Collocations
disillusion voters
|disillusion young people
|disillusion a generation
|disillusion the public
|disillusion someone about politics
|disillusion someone about marriage
|disillusion someone about the job
|be disillusioned with the system
|be disillusioned by corruption
|deeply disillusioned
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|politics
|work
|beliefs
Examples
- The scandal disillusioned many longtime supporters of the party.
- Working in the industry quickly disillusioned her about how fair the system was.
- He had been idealistic at first, but the constant delays disillusioned him.
Learner examples
- The news disillusioned me.
- The job disillusioned him about the company.
Noun
formal
C2
state
2
state of lost illusions
the feeling of no longer believing in something you admired
Usage pattern:
disillusion (with [someone/something])
Common mistake:
In modern English, the noun 'disillusion' is much less common than 'disillusionment' for this meaning.
Synonyms
disenchantment (Slightly more literary; emphasizes the loss of charm/idealism.)
|
disillusionment (Much more common noun for the same idea.)
Antonyms
idealism (Belief in high ideals rather than harsh reality.)
|
faith (Strong trust or belief in someone or something.)
Collocations
a sense of disillusion
|widespread disillusion
|public disillusion
|political disillusion
|deep disillusion
|growing disillusion
Themes
emotions
|beliefs
Examples
- After years of promises, there was a growing disillusion with local leaders.
- Her early excitement turned into disillusion when she saw how the organization operated.
Learner examples
- Many people felt disillusion after the election.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disillusion
IPA
GB/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən/
US/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən/
Syllables & stress
dis - il - lu - sion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (lu)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: disillusion
- 3rd Person Singular: disillusions
- Present Participle: disillusioning
- Past: disillusioned
Word family
Forms
disillusions
verb
disillusioning
verb
disillusioned
verb
Core family
disillusionment
noun C1
Related words
illusion
noun B2
illusory
adjective
Advanced or less common
illusionist
noun
Expressions
be disillusioned about [something]
1/bˈi dˌɪsɪlˈuʒənd əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
lose optimistic beliefs about topic
to stop having hopeful ideas about something
Examples
- After a few months, she was disillusioned about the chances of quick reform.
- He’s increasingly disillusioned about dating apps.
- They became disillusioned about how much progress could be made.
be disillusioned by [something]
1/bˈi dˌɪsɪlˈuʒənd bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
lose faith because of cause
to lose belief because something happened
Examples
- He was disillusioned by what he saw during his first weeks on the job.
- They were disillusioned by the leader’s sudden change of position.
- I was disillusioned by how little support new staff received.
be disillusioned with [someone/something]
1/bˈi dˌɪsɪlˈuʒənd wˈɪθ sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
no longer support or admire
to stop believing in or admiring someone or something
Examples
- She became disillusioned with the company after repeated layoffs.
- Many voters are disillusioned with mainstream politics.
- He’s disillusioned with his old friends and rarely sees them now.
become disillusioned
1/bɪkˈʌm dˌɪsɪlˈuʒənd/
fixed phrase
start to lose faith
to start to feel disappointed and stop believing
Examples
- She became disillusioned after realizing how little her work mattered to management.
- Many graduates become disillusioned in their first year of work.
- He became disillusioned with the project when the funding was cut.
disillusion [someone] about [something]
1/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən sˈʌmwˌʌn əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
make someone see reality
to make someone realize the truth about something
Examples
- The internship disillusioned him about the glamour of the industry.
- Nothing could disillusion her about her coach’s integrity.
- Talking to residents disillusioned the journalist about the official story.
disillusion [someone] as to [something]
1/dˌɪsɪlˈuʒən sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈæz tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
correct mistaken belief about topic
to make someone understand the truth about something (formal)
Examples
- The report disillusioned investors as to the company’s short-term prospects.
- Experience soon disillusioned him as to how quickly things would change.