Mirage
/məˈrɑːʒ/
Definitions
2 meaningsAn optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, especially the appearance of a sheet of water in a desert or on a hot road, caused by the refraction of light from the sky by heated air.
/məˈrɑːʒ/
An optical illusion
The hikers, desperate for water, were fooled by a shimmering mirage in the distance.
💡 Simply: Have you ever seen what looks like water on the road when it's hot? That's a mirage! It's like your eyes are playing a trick on you because of how the air is heated.
👶 For kids: A mirage is like seeing something that's not really there! Like seeing water in the desert when there is no water.
More Examples
The oasis was a mirage, a cruel deception of the desert.
The promises of the company proved to be nothing more than a mirage, quickly disappearing.
How It's Used
"The desert traveler suffered greatly from a mirage."
"The promise of wealth turned out to be a mirage."
Something that appears real or possible but is not in fact so; an illusion.
/məˈrɑːʒ/
An illusion of any kind
The promised rewards were merely a mirage, vanishing as soon as they were within reach.
💡 Simply: Sometimes things look really good, like they're super easy and perfect, but they're not real. Like when you think you can eat all the cookies, that can be a mirage of fun.
👶 For kids: Sometimes it looks like something is real, but it isn't.
More Examples
The politician's vision of a perfect society proved to be a mirage, unattainable in reality.
How It's Used
"His fame was but a mirage, it was a delusion of grandeur"
From French, ultimately from Italian miraggio, from mirare ('to look at, to gaze').
The term has been used since the 18th century to describe optical phenomena in deserts.
Memory tip
Imagine a shimmering pool of water on the road, but when you get closer, it disappears – that's a mirage!
Word Origin
"to look at, gaze"