Definition

1. Noun:
   • An illusion or a delusion: A false idea or belief about something, especially one that is hopeful or desirable but not based in reality.
   • A fantasy or a pipe dream: A pleasant situation or outcome that you imagine, which is very unlikely to ever happen.
   • A mirage: Something that seems real or possible but is not actually so.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ta đang sống trong ảo mộng. (He is living in a fantasy.)
  • Giấc mơ trở thành triệu phú chỉ là một ảo mộng. (The dream of becoming a millionaire is just an illusion.)
  • Đừng nuôi ảo mộng về một kết quả dễ dàng. (Don't harbor delusions about an easy outcome.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "nuôi ảo mộng" (to nurture/harbor an illusion) is very common and emphasizes the active, often self-deceptive, clinging to an unrealistic hope.
  • Cô ấy nuôi ảo mộng rằng anh ấy sẽ quay lại. (She harbors the illusion that he will come back.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ảo tưởng (n): Often used interchangeably with "ảo mộng," but can sometimes imply a stronger sense of delusion or misconception.
• Ảo giác (n): A hallucination; a perception of something that is not physically present, typically related to the senses.
• Mộng mơ (v/n): To daydream; a daydream. This has a more neutral or poetic connotation than "ảo mộng," which is usually negative.

Synonyms

• Illusion: A false idea or belief.
• Delusion: A belief that is clearly false and indicates an abnormality in the affected person's thinking.
• Fantasy: The faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things.
• Pipe dream: An unattainable or fanciful hope or scheme.

Related Idioms

• Lâu đài trên cát (lit. "castle on sand"): Equivalent to "a castle in the air," meaning plans or hopes that have very little chance of happening.
  • Kế hoạch của họ chẳng khác nào lâu đài trên cát. (Their plan is nothing but a castle in the air.)

noun

1. Fantastic dream, day-dream, castle in the air