illusion
gb/ɪlˈuʒən/ us/ɪlˈuʒən/
B2
Inglês
~ 6100
Aceções
0 aceções
Nome
B2
entity
1
false idea or belief
A wrong belief about what is real or true.
Padrão de uso:
an illusion that [clause] / an illusion about [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse "illusion" with "hallucination". An illusion is usually a false belief or a wrong idea about reality, while a hallucination is seeing or hearing something that is not there at all. Learners also sometimes spell it as *illusion* when they mean *allusion* (a reference to something).
Sinónimos
misconception (Often used for everyday wrong ideas, especially about facts or how things work.)
|
delusion (Stronger and more negative; can suggest that a belief is very unrealistic or even a sign of mental illness.)
|
fantasy (Suggests an imagined, often pleasant belief that is clearly not real.)
Antónimos
reality (The actual situation, as it truly is, without false beliefs.)
|
truth (What is correct and factual, not based on mistaken ideas.)
Colocações
an illusion of safety
|an illusion of control
|maintain the illusion
|cling to the illusion
|shatter someone's illusions
|destroy an illusion
Temas
thinking
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Many people still live with the illusion that money will solve all their problems.
- The company’s friendly image is just an illusion; the working conditions are terrible.
- He had no illusions about how hard it would be to start his own business.
- Her childhood illusions about love disappeared after the divorce.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He was under the illusion that she loved him.
- The illusion of an easy life in the city brought many people there.
- I lost my illusions about that politician when I heard the news.
- We must face reality, not live in an illusion.
Nome
B2
entity
2
deceptive outward appearance
A look or appearance that makes something seem different from what it is.
Padrão de uso:
an illusion of [quality]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use "illusion" when they just mean "appearance". Use "illusion" when the appearance is misleading or not real; use "appearance" when you only describe how something looks, without saying it is false.
Sinónimos
appearance (More general; does not always mean something is misleading, just how it looks on the surface.)
|
façade (Suggests an outer appearance that hides an unpleasant or less perfect reality.)
Antónimos
substance (Refers to what something really is, beyond how it looks.)
|
genuineness (Emphasizes that something is real and not just for show.)
Colocações
an illusion of depth
|an illusion of space
|an illusion of freedom
|an illusion of stability
|create the illusion of
|give the illusion of
Temas
appearance
|society
|art
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Tall mirrors on the walls create the illusion of a larger room.
- The bright advertising gives the illusion of luxury, but the product is cheaply made.
- The reforms created an illusion of progress without real change.
- The designer used light and color to give the illusion of extra height in the small space.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The small lights gave the illusion of stars on the ceiling.
- Her smile gave the illusion of confidence.
- The painting creates an illusion of movement.
- The glass wall gives an illusion of more space in the office.
Nome
B2
entity
3
misleading sensory perception
Something you see, hear, or feel in a way that is not correct, often because your senses are tricked.
Padrão de uso:
a[n] [optical/visual] illusion
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes call every magic trick an "illusion". In everyday speech, this is fine, but in psychology "illusion" is more specific: your senses misread something real. A "hallucination" is different, because there is no real object at all.
Sinónimos
mirage (A natural optical illusion, especially in deserts or on hot roads, where you seem to see water.)
|
trick (Informal; focuses on the act of deceiving the senses, often in magic or games.)
Antónimos
accurate perception (Direct, correct experience of what is actually there.)
Colocações
optical illusion
|visual illusion
|clever illusion
|magic illusion
|stage illusion
|create an illusion
Temas
science
|psychology
|art
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The lines in this picture are actually straight; the curve is just an optical illusion.
- The magician’s best illusion made the assistant seem to disappear.
- From far away, the lake on the road was only an illusion caused by the heat.
- The spinning pattern creates an illusion of movement even when the image is still.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- This picture is an optical illusion; the two lines are the same length.
- The magician’s illusion surprised the children.
- The pool you see in the desert is only an illusion.
- The round design gives an illusion that the center is moving.
Nome
B2
entity
4
unrealistic hope or expectation
A nice but unreal idea about how life, love, or the future will be.
Padrão de uso:
illusions about [life / something]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this sense with simple "dreams" or "goals". "Illusions" here are hopes or ideas that are unrealistic, not just plans or wishes. Saying "I have illusions to be a doctor" is wrong; say "I have a dream" or "I want to be a doctor" instead.
Sinónimos
false hope (Focuses on expecting something good that is very unlikely to happen.)
|
daydream (Softer and less critical; suggests pleasant imagining rather than a strong belief.)
Antónimos
realism (A practical, clear view of life without unrealistic hopes.)
|
sobriety (In this context, a serious and realistic way of thinking, without illusions.)
Colocações
youthful illusions
|romantic illusions
|lose your illusions
|shatter someone's illusions
|harbor illusions
|illusions about the future
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|life
Exemplos
- Her romantic illusions disappeared after a few months of living with him.
- He went into politics with youthful illusions that he could quickly change the system.
- Travel can destroy your illusions about a place, but it also teaches you a lot.
- By thirty, she had few illusions left about how the industry worked.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- When I was young, I had many illusions about love.
- He lost his illusions about his job after one year.
- She has no illusions about becoming rich soon.
- My illusions about city life ended when I saw how expensive it was.
Nome
technical
C1
entity
5
technical sensory misinterpretation
In psychology, seeing, hearing, or feeling something that is real, but understanding it in the wrong way.
Padrão de uso:
an illusion of [shape / movement / sound]
Erro comum:
Learners often mix up the technical terms "illusion" and "hallucination". In psychology, an illusion is based on a real stimulus that is misinterpreted, while a hallucination has no real external stimulus at all.
Sinónimos
perceptual error (Technical phrase that stresses the mistake in processing sensory information.)
Antónimos
veridical perception (Technical term in psychology for perception that accurately matches the external stimulus.)
Colocações
perceptual illusion
|visual illusion
|auditory illusion
|tactile illusion
|illusory contour
|illusion in perception
Temas
science
|psychology
|medicine
|health
Exemplos
- In cognitive psychology, an illusion occurs when perception does not match the physical stimulus.
- The experiment used a classic visual illusion to study how the brain constructs depth.
- Illusions demonstrate that perception is an active process, not a perfect copy of the outside world.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- In psychology, an illusion is a mistake in how we see or hear something real.
- The professor used an illusion to show how our eyes can be wrong.
- This book explains different types of visual illusions.
- Some illusions help scientists understand how the brain works.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
illusion
IPA
GB/ɪlˈuʒən/
US/ɪlˈuʒən/
Sílabas e acento
il - lu - sion (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lu)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: illusion
- Plural: illusion, illusions
Família de palavras
Forms
illusions
noun
Core family
illusory
adjective
illusionist
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
illusive
adjective
Expressões
be under no illusions
1/bˈi ˈʌndɚ nˈoʊ ɪlˈuʒənz/
fixed phrase
fully aware of harsh reality
to clearly understand that something will be hard, dangerous, or unpleasant; not to expect something easy or nice
Exemplos
- I am under no illusions about how tough this course will be.
- They were under no illusions that the negotiations would succeed.
create the illusion of
1/kɹiˈeɪt ðə ɪlˈuʒən əv/
fixed phrase
make something only seem real
to make something look or feel as if it is true or real, when it is not
Exemplos
- The designer used lighting to create the illusion of more space.
- The government tried to create the illusion of progress with a few small changes.
lose your illusions
1/lˈuz jˈʊɹ ɪlˈuʒənz/
idiom
stop having unrealistic hopes
to stop believing in nice but unreal ideas, often after a bad experience
Exemplos
- After working there for a year, she lost her illusions about the fashion industry.
- Growing up often means losing some of your illusions about the world.
shatter someone's illusions
1/ʃˈætɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɪlˈuʒənz/
idiom
destroy someone's false beliefs
to make someone lose their false, often hopeful ideas about something
Exemplos
- The scandal shattered the public’s illusions about the hero.
- Travel can shatter your illusions about a country, but it can also deepen your understanding.
the illusion of choice
1/ðə ɪlˈuʒən əv t͡ʃˈɔɪs/
fixed phrase
seeming but not real choice
when it seems like you can choose between many things, but in fact the choices are very limited or not real
Exemplos
- The long menu gives customers the illusion of choice, but all the dishes use the same few ingredients.
- Some critics say modern politics offers only the illusion of choice to voters.
under the illusion that
1/ˈʌndɚ ðə ɪlˈuʒən ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
mistakenly believe that
to wrongly believe that something is true or will happen
Exemplos
- She was under the illusion that her job was secure.
- Many voters are under the illusion that change will be quick and easy.
optical illusion
1/ˈɑptɪkəl ɪlˈuʒən/
fixed phrase
A misleading visual perception
Something you see that looks different from what it really is.
Exemplos
- The magician’s trick was just an optical illusion.
- The famous picture of the two faces and the vase is an optical illusion.
- From this angle, the tower’s tilt is an optical illusion.
- From a distance, the road seemed wet, but it was just an optical illusion.