What does deludable mean?
Deludable is an adjective meaning capable of being deceived, misled, or taken in. It describes someone or something that can be persuaded by an attractive promise, a convincing performance, or an apparently plausible falsehood. The word carries a somewhat formal and literary tone, so it often appears in discussion of storytelling, propaganda, gullibility, or human susceptibility to error. Deludable does not quite mean stupid: its emphasis is on openness to deception and the possibility of being misled. A person may be intelligent yet still deludable if circumstances, trust, or incomplete information make deception possible. The word is useful when describing a general vulnerability rather than the completed act of being fooled; “deluded” would describe someone who has actually been deceived. It is consequently closely related in meaning to gullible and credulous, but can sometimes suggest a more specific capacity to be deceived.
adjectiveCapable of being deceived, misled, or taken in. Often implies that a person or situation is unusually open to persuasion, error, or imposture.
- Capable of being deceived, misled, or taken in; credulous or gullible.
"The deludable narrator accepts every seemingly sincere explanation offered by the stranger."
"The deludable narrator believes the explanation without checking it."
"A deludable audience was persuaded by the promise of an easy solution."
Deludable is a quiet warning label for a mind that can still be taken in by a polished lie.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does deludable come from?
English formed deludable from delude plus the suffix -able, meaning capable of being. The underlying Latin verb deludere means “to deceive” and combines de- with ludere, “to play.” The same Latin root appears in related English words such as delusion, delusory, and ludicrous.
Related word forms
How deludable is actually used
Somewhat formal and literary. It is especially used for a person, mind, or position that is open to deception, and it suggests susceptibility rather than necessarily stupidity or carelessness.
Easily confused with deludable
Deluded means having been deceived, whereas deludable describes someone or something capable of being deceived.