DELUDE, verb transitive 1. To deceive; to impose on; to lead from truth or into error; to mislead the mind or judgement; to beguile. Cheat is generally applied to deception in bargains; delude to deception in opinion. An artful man deludes his followers. We are often deluded by false appearances. 2. To frustrate or disappoint.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI