Delude and dilute are two words that are pronounced similarly and look similar, but have very different meanings. We will look at the definitions of delude and dilute, where the words come from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Delude is the act of making someone believe something that is not true, to deceive someone. Delude is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are deludes, deluded, deluding, delusion. The word delude is derived from the Latin word deludere, which means to deceive, to mock.
Dilute means to water down, to make a liquid thinner by adding water, to make something weaker or reduce the value of something. Dilute may be used as an adjective or a transitive verb, related words are dilutes, diluted, diluting. The word dilute is derived from the Latin word dilutus, which means to wash away or dissolve.
Examples
He warned: “We need the policy to clarify itself but we also shouldn’t delude ourselves that it is going to clarify itself very quickly.” (The Evening Standard)
But in trying to delude others, you are only making yourself look like an idiot. (The Malaysiakini)
We are embarking on an effort at the Savannah River Site to dilute and dispose of approximately six metric tons of surplus plutonium — additional to the 34 metric tons of material we have committed to dispose under the US-Russia Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement — and are beginning consultations with the IAEA for the monitoring and verification of this process,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz stated. (Sputnik International)
The NGRI has implemented a unique method to dilute contamination of groundwater resources in fluoride impacted Choutuppal in Yadadri district. (The Hans India)