verb

hallucinate

huh-LOO-sih-nayt

Hallucinate (verb) means to perceive things that are not actually present, as a result of mental state, drugs, or illness. Example: “The fever made him hallucinate strange shapes on the ceiling.”

verb

To perceive things that are not actually present, as a result of mental state, drugs, or illness.

"The fever made him hallucinate strange shapes on the ceiling."

(of an AI model) To generate confident but false or fabricated information.

"The chatbot hallucinated a court case that never existed."

"AI models sometimes hallucinate citations that look real but aren't."

How to use hallucinate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo see or sense things that aren't really there — or, for AI, to confidently make up false information.

Common pairings

hallucinate details AI model hallucinates

Word forms

hallucinated past tense, hallucinates singular

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The fever made him _____ strange shapes on the ceiling.

Etymology

From Latin hallucinatus, related to a verb meaning "to wander in the mind" or "to dream."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for hallucinate

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Frequently asked questions

What does “hallucinate” mean?

The word “hallucinate” means to perceive things that are not actually present, as a result of mental state, drugs, or illness. In plain terms, to see or sense things that aren't really there — or, for AI, to confidently make up false information.

How do you pronounce “hallucinate”?

“Hallucinate” is pronounced huh-LOO-sih-nayt (/həˈl(j)uːsɪneɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “hallucinate” in a sentence?

Here is “hallucinate” used in a sentence: “The fever made him hallucinate strange shapes on the ceiling.”

What part of speech is “hallucinate”?

“Hallucinate” is a verb.

Where does the word “hallucinate” come from?

The word “hallucinate” comes from Latin. From Latin hallucinatus, related to a verb meaning "to wander in the mind" or "to dream.".

How many meanings does “hallucinate” have?

“Hallucinate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to perceive things that are not actually present, as a result of mental state, drugs, or illness.