magnify

verb

mag·​ni·​fy ˈmag-nə-ˌfī How to pronounce magnify (audio)
magnified; magnifying

transitive verb

1
a
: extol, laud
while they magnified the art, they often belittled the artistHavelock Ellis
b
: to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect
2
a
: to increase in significance : intensify
real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beautyAlan Mickle
b
: exaggerate
magnifies every minor issue to crisis proportions
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
The lens magnified the image 100 times.

intransitive verb

: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
a glass that magnifies greatly

Examples of magnify in a Sentence

The sound was magnified by the calm air. His failures have been magnified by the success of his friends. I don't want to magnify the importance of these problems. The lens magnified the image 100 times. a magnified view of the image
Recent Examples on the Web With less ice covering the surface of the Earth, less sunlight is reflected into space and more heat is absorbed by the ocean, land, and atmosphere, magnifying the warming effect. Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 As the title would suggest, a foundational religious concept figures prominently in the plot, and as Cecilia’s situation becomes increasingly dire, her plight feels magnified by her status as a stranger in a remote corner of an unfamiliar land. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the problem. Hannah Poukish, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 That was especially true in a game where BYU outscored the Jayhawks by 30 from the 3-point line, which meant every extra point at the line was going to be magnified. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 These qualities are magnified in Rogue Machine’s production, directed with exquisite sensitivity by founding artistic director John Perrin Flynn. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024 But the biggest challenge that has been magnified by the activist campaigns is the company’s struggle to find an Iger successor who will stick as CEO. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 In many ways, the war has magnified and intensified the isolation, death and destruction already inflicted on Gaza for years. Jane Arraf, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024 The center stage is a rotating turntable equipped with screens designed to magnify performance details. Jonathan Abrams, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English magnifien, from Anglo-French magnifier, from Latin magnificare, from magnificus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near magnify

Cite this Entry

“Magnify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnify. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

magnify

verb
mag·​ni·​fy ˈmag-nə-ˌfī How to pronounce magnify (audio)
magnified; magnifying
1
2
a
: to increase in importance
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
a microscope magnifies an object seen through it
magnifier
-ˌfī(-ə)r
noun

Medical Definition

magnify

verb
mag·​ni·​fy ˈmag-nə-ˌfī How to pronounce magnify (audio)
magnified; magnifying

transitive verb

: to enlarge in appearance

intransitive verb

: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are

More from Merriam-Webster on magnify

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