妄想

• Pinyin: wàng xiǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 妄 = 亡 (to perish, phonetic) + 女 (woman) — groundless, reckless; 想 = 相 (mutual, appearance) + 心 (heart)

Meaning

To fantasise vainly; a delusion; an unrealistic desire or expectation. Thinking that is divorced from reality.

As a verb: to delude oneself with unrealistic hopes. As a noun: a specific delusion or vain fantasy. Carries a critical, dismissive tone — implying the desire or expectation is wildly unrealistic. In psychiatric contexts it refers to clinical delusions. In everyday speech it means 'you're dreaming if you think that will happen.'

Examples

1. 你以为一夜之间就能成为百万富翁？这是妄想。 You think you can become a millionaire overnight? That's a pure delusion.
2. 他沉浸在自己的妄想中，完全无法面对现实生活。 He was so immersed in his own delusions that he was completely unable to face reality.
3. 想靠这点努力就超越竞争对手，只不过是妄想罢了。 Thinking you can surpass the competition with this little effort is nothing but wishful thinking.

Usage Guide

Context: critical, psychology, everyday

Tone: dismissive

Do Say

• 不付出任何努力就想成功，那只是妄想。(Wanting to succeed without putting in any effort is nothing but a delusion.)
• 这位患者出现了妄想症状，需要接受专业治疗。(This patient is showing symptoms of delusions and needs professional treatment.)

Don't Say

• 将妄想用于表达合理的理想或抱负，如'我妄想有一天学好英语' — use 梦想 or 希望 for legitimate aspirations; 妄想 implies the goal is wildly unrealistic or delusional

Origin & History

Compound of 妄 (reckless, groundless, wildly) and 想 (to think, to wish). Together: to think wildly and groundlessly — to delude oneself.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal