illusory
seeming real but false or unreliable
Roots
- in- / im- (in/into): in, into, within, or on
- lud / lus: play, mock, or trick
Other words with the lud / lus root
Illusory things look solid, but the appearance is playing a trick.
The shortcut gave an illusory sense of progress because her score never moved.
Illusory is the adjective cousin of illusion. It describes something that seems real, reliable, or promising until the appearance gives way.