mirage

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablephysics

   A false image of water or distant objects that appears in hot places when light bends through layers of air at different temperatures.

   Grammar: Often seen in desert or road settings: a mirage on the highway.

   Patterns

   • a mirage of something

   Travelers in the desert often see a mirage of a lake.

   The shimmering pool on the road ahead was only a mirage.

   A mirage made the distant hills appear to float.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A hope or goal that seems real but cannot be reached or does not truly exist.

   Grammar: Used figuratively: the mirage of easy money.

   Patterns

   • chase a mirage
   • a mirage of something

   The promised bonus turned out to be a mirage.

   He spent years chasing the mirage of fame.

   The calm in the market proved a mirage.

Word forms

Common combinations

desert mirage

A desert mirage can look like water.

chase a mirage

Investors chased a mirage of quick profits.

turn out to be a mirage

The peace deal turned out to be a mirage.

shimmering mirage

A shimmering mirage danced on the road.

nothing but a mirage

Their happiness was nothing but a mirage.

Synonyms and how they differ

illusion

Illusion is the broader word for any false impression, while mirage is a specific natural effect or a false hope.

fantasy

Fantasy is an imagined idea in the mind, whereas a mirage seems to be seen out there.

delusion

Delusion describes a false belief held in the mind, often more serious than a mirage.

pipe dream

Pipe dream is informal and focuses on a hope that is unrealistic.

Opposites

Word family

miraculous adjective

sharing the Latin root meaning to wonder at, though not related in meaning

mirage-like adjective

appearing unreal or shimmering

Commonly confused: mirage or mirror?

Practice

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