illusion

/ɪˈluːʒn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈluːʒn/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈlü-zhən/ (ame, mw)

illusion — 名詞

  • illusionsingular
  • illusionsplural

1. A mistaken way of thinking about something, based on what someone wants to belie

1.名詞B2
釋義

錯覺；誤解

不真實的想法或信念

A mistaken way of thinking about something, based on what someone wants to believe rather than what is actually true.

例句

Christopher was under the illusion that the exam would be easy, so he barely studied.

Christopher 一直誤以為考試很簡單，所以幾乎沒唸書。

under the illusion that + clause for false belief

The idea that fame alone brings happiness is an illusion many celebrities eventually disprove.

認為名聲本身就能帶來幸福的想法是一種錯覺，許多名人最終都證明了這一點。

同義詞
  • delusion

    stronger and more pathological than illusion; a delusion is a fixed false belief often linked to mental illness

  • misconception

    more neutral; a wrong understanding based on incomplete knowledge, without the wishful thinking implied in illusion

  • fantasy

    a pleasant imagined situation that one knows is not real; an illusion is believed to be true, at least temporarily

  • misapprehension

    formal term for a misunderstanding, less emotional than illusion

反義詞
  • reality

    the state of things as they actually exist, versus how one wishes them to be

  • fact

    a piece of information that is objectively true and verifiable

文法句型

under the illusion that + clause

harbor/hold/cherish an illusion

用法筆記

Commonly paired with the phrase 'under the illusion that' to describe someone wrongly believing something. Distinguish from sense 4 (DECEPTION): sense 1 describes a person's own mistaken belief, while sense 4 describes the act of deliberately misleading someone else.

常見錯誤

❌He has an illusion that he can swim across the lake.
✅He is under the illusion that he can swim across the lake.
💡The standard pattern is 'under the illusion that', not 'have an illusion that'.
❌The pink elephant he saw was just an illusion.
✅The pink elephant he saw was just a hallucination.
💡Seeing things that are not there is a hallucination; an illusion is a misinterpretation of something real.

2. Something that appears to be one thing when it is actually another, typically be

2.名詞B2
釋義

幻象；錯視

看起來與實際不同的景象

Something that appears to be one thing when it is actually another, typically because of how the eye or brain processes visual information.

例句

From the hilltop, the distant lake looked close enough to touch — a simple illusion caused by the clear air.

從山頂上看，遠處的湖泊近得彷彿伸手可及——這只是空氣清澈造成的視覺假象。

The optical illusion made two identical grey squares look like different shades.

那個錯視圖案讓兩個一模一樣的灰色方塊看起來像不同深淺。

optical illusion — visual trick affecting perception

同義詞
  • mirage

    a specific type of visual illusion caused by hot air reflecting light, especially in deserts; narrower than illusion

  • trick of the light

    informal phrase for a visual effect that briefly deceives the eye

  • apparition

    a ghost-like figure that appears suddenly; implies the supernatural, unlike the neutral optical sense of illusion

反義詞
  • reality

    what is actually present, without any deceptive appearance

文法句型

illusion of + noun

optical illusion

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (FALSE BELIEF), this sense refers to a physical or visual phenomenon rather than a mistaken mental idea. The most common subtype is the 'optical illusion', which involves the visual system. The preposition 'of' typically introduces what seems to be present: 'an illusion of depth', 'an illusion of movement'.

常見錯誤

❌The painting gives a illusion of three dimensions.
✅The painting gives an illusion of three dimensions.
💡'Illusion' begins with a vowel sound, so the article must be 'an'.

3. A clever performance in which a magician uses rapid hand movements or hidden dev

3.名詞B1
釋義

魔術

魔術師創造的幻覺效果

A clever performance in which a magician uses rapid hand movements or hidden devices to create the impression of doing something impossible.

例句

The magician's next illusion made a coin vanish and then reappear behind a child's ear.

魔術師的下一個魔術讓一枚硬幣消失，然後從一個孩子耳後重新出現。

Gabriel practiced the card illusion for months before he could make it look effortless on stage.

Gabriel 花了幾個月練習那個紙牌魔術，才終於能在台上表演得毫不費力。

practice / perfect an illusion (magician context)

同義詞
  • trick

    a broader, everyday term for any deceptive act; 'illusion' is more specific to magic performances

  • sleight of hand

    a specific type of illusion that depends on fast finger movements; often used for close-up magic

  • conjuring trick

    British term for a magic trick, slightly old-fashioned

文法句型

perform an illusion

用法筆記

In this sense, 'illusion' is a countable noun describing a single performance trick. It differs from sense 2 (DECEPTIVE APPEARANCE) because a magic trick involves deliberate human action intended to entertain, whereas sense 2 describes a natural visual misinterpretation.

常見錯誤

❌The illusion was just a trick of the light.
✅The magician's illusion fooled the entire audience.
💡Use sense 3 vocabulary (magician, stage, audience, trick) to keep the meaning clear; 'trick of the light' belongs to sense 2.

4. The process of deliberately giving people a wrong impression so that they believ

4.名詞C1
釋義

欺騙；矇騙

製造假象使人信以為真

The process of deliberately giving people a wrong impression so that they believe something untrue.

例句

The company maintained the illusion of success by publishing fake financial reports for years.

那家公司多年來靠發布虛假的財務報告來維持成功的假象。

maintain / keep up the illusion of [something]

The dictator's government spent heavily on creating the illusion that every citizen supported the regime.

獨裁政府花費巨資營造出每個公民都支持該政權的假象。

同義詞
  • deception

    more general term for any act of making someone believe something false; illusion in this sense implies a sustained false appearance

  • pretence

    British spelling; emphasises the act of behaving as if something is true when it is not

  • facade

    a false outward appearance that hides the true nature of something; similar to illusion but more architectural in metaphor

反義詞
  • honesty

    the quality of being truthful and not misleading others

  • transparency

    openness and clarity, leaving no room for false impressions

文法句型

an illusion of + noun

maintain/keep up an illusion

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (FALSE BELIEF), where the person themselves is mistaken, sense 4 involves someone actively misleading others. This sense is uncountable and typically used with 'the' rather than 'an'. Common in political, corporate, and social commentary contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The magician's deception was very convincing.' (when referring to a magic trick)
✅Use 'illusion' (sense 3) for magic performances. 'Deception' has a more serious, dishonest tone.