Delulu
Etymology
A reduplicated clipping of delusional. It arose in K-pop fandom (stan) communities in the 2010s, first describing fans with improbable hopes about idols, and broadened on TikTok around 2023 into a general, playful term for hopeful self-deception.
adjective · /duh-LOO-loo/
Delusional in a knowing, cheerfully unrealistic way — clinging to a hope you’re aware is far-fetched.
What it names
It carves out a self-aware kind of delusion: not a break with reality, but a chosen optimism you hold with a wink. The tone is affectionate and often self-directed, naming the useful fiction that manifesting the best case might actually help — "delulu is the solulu."
Example
I’m fully delulu about this interview — I’ve already picked out which desk plant I’m bringing.
Related idea
Lighter than delusional proper: delulu is worn as a badge and half-believed on purpose, not a genuine loss of judgment.