hallucinatory

adjective

hal·​lu·​ci·​na·​to·​ry hə-ˈlü-sə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce hallucinatory (audio)
-ˈlüs-nə-
Synonyms of hallucinatorynext
1
: tending to produce hallucination
hallucinatory drugs
2
: resembling, involving, or being a hallucination
hallucinatory dreams
a hallucinatory figure

Examples of hallucinatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rubio weaves stories about heartbreak, drugs, and the slippery, occasionally hallucinatory process of finding your way back to your own life. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 There’s a real opportunity in the fourth episode to do something fun, or at least interesting, when Tyson convinces Russ to join him in smoking hallucinatory toad venom, but no flair or flourishes emerge. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 For all of its reliance on dialogue over action, Season of the Witch still manages a tense and, at times, hallucinatory atmosphere. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2026 In Bettmann Panopticon, which opened to the public in 1964 at the School of Visual Arts Visual Arts Gallery, Max and Daly had taken images from the archive and mirrored them for a hallucinatory effect. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hallucinatory

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hallucinatory was in 1830

Rhymes for hallucinatory

See All Rhymes for hallucinatory

Browse Nearby Words

hallucination
hallucinatory
hallucinogen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hallucinatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallucinatory. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hallucinatory

adjective
hal·​lu·​ci·​na·​to·​ry hə-ˈlü-sə-nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce hallucinatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
1
: tending to produce hallucinations
2
: resembling, involving, or being a hallucination

Medical Definition

hallucinatory

adjective
hal·​lu·​ci·​na·​to·​ry hə-ˈlüs-ᵊn-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˈlüs-nə-, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce hallucinatory (audio)
1
: tending to produce hallucinations
hallucinatory drugs
2
: resembling, involving, or being a hallucination
hallucinatory dreams
a hallucinatory figure
hallucinatorily
-ˌtōr-ə-lē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce hallucinatory (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hallucinatory

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hallucinatory

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All