Täuschung, Schein, Trugbild, Einbildung, Chimäre, Fata Morgana
deceive - mislead - fool - dupe - hoodwink - trick - bluff - beguile - misguide - lead astray
To delude means to mislead someone into believing something that is false, often by creating an illusion or presenting information in a deceptive way. It can be done intentionally, for example when a person lies or distorts facts to influence others, or unintentionally, when someone passes on false beliefs they genuinely hold. The term also applies to oneself: a person can delude themselves by clinging to comforting but untrue ideas. Overall, it describes a process where perception or judgment is distorted so that reality is misunderstood or falsely interpreted.