What Does Delulu Mean?
Delulu is short for "delusional" — but it's been repackaged by the internet into something almost aspirational. When someone calls you delulu, they're saying your expectations, hopes, or beliefs are wildly disconnected from reality. But here's the twist: the internet has kind of decided that's sometimes a superpower.
The phrase "delulu is the solulu" (delusional is the solution) became a whole movement. The idea? Sometimes you HAVE to be a little delusional to manifest the life you want. Fake it till you make it, but make it fashion.
Where Did Delulu Come From?
Delulu started in K-pop fan communities (we're talking early 2010s) to describe fans who genuinely believed they were going to marry their bias. Like, babes, BTS does not know you exist. That specific type of unhinged optimism got the label "delulu."
By 2023, TikTok grabbed it, stripped the K-pop specificity, and made it universal. Now it applies to anyone living in their own reality — whether that's thinking your situationship is going to propose or applying for a CEO position with two years of experience.
How to Use Delulu
- Self-deprecating: "I wore my good underwear on a first date. Delulu tingz."
- Calling someone out: "You think he's going to text back after leaving you on read for 3 days? Girl, you're delulu."
- Aspirational: "Delulu is the solulu — I'm manifesting that promotion."
Examples in the Wild
"me applying for a job that requires 10 years of experience when I graduated last May 🤡 delulu is the solulu"
"being delulu has literally gotten me further in life than being realistic ever did"
Why It Matters
Delulu captures something real about Gen-Z culture: the tension between being hyper-aware that everything is kind of falling apart and choosing radical optimism anyway. It's self-aware delusion. You KNOW you're being unrealistic, and you're choosing it anyway because the alternative is depressing.
Plus, there's actual psychological backing here — visualization and positive thinking (within reason) DO help. So maybe delulu really is the solulu. At least a little bit.