mirage
mirage Lexical Profile
mirage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent by atmospheric refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky, often appearing as a shimmering pool of water on a hot surface.
"Driving down the sunbaked desert highway, they saw a shimmering mirage of water that vanished as they approached."
Something that appears real, achievable, or promising but is ultimately illusory, unattainable, or deceptive.
"The promise of quick wealth turned out to be a mirage, leaving many naive investors with significant losses."
• Rhymes for mirage
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the early 19th century from French 'mirage', derived from the verb 'se mirer' (to look at oneself in a mirror), which ultimately stems from the Latin 'mirari' (to wonder at).