1
: an optical (see optical sense 2a) effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density
2
: something illusory and unattainable like a mirage
A peaceful solution proved to be a mirage.
Examples of mirage in a Sentence
A peaceful solution proved to be a mirage.
Recent Examples on the Web
The artist and Buddhist leader is himself a mirage.
—
Joseph Bien-Kahn, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024
Stefan Hedlund, director of research at the Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, thinks Russia’s growth figures are a mirage clouded by Russia’s wartime spending, which has artificially inflated GDP.
—Jason Ma, Fortune Europe, 14 Oct. 2024
Yet, Helene has once more reminded the rest of the country that the sense of security in the mountains is a mirage.
—Justin McBrien / Made By History, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
Even the film’s one or two glimmers of hope, which only leap out at the very end, appear as mere mirages in a desert of drugs and American decline.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mirage 
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Joseph Bien-Kahn, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024
Stefan Hedlund, director of research at the Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, thinks Russia’s growth figures are a mirage clouded by Russia’s wartime spending, which has artificially inflated GDP.
—Jason Ma, Fortune Europe, 14 Oct. 2024
Yet, Helene has once more reminded the rest of the country that the sense of security in the mountains is a mirage.
—Justin McBrien / Made By History, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
Even the film’s one or two glimmers of hope, which only leap out at the very end, appear as mere mirages in a desert of drugs and American decline.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mirage
Dictionary Entries Near mirage
Cite this Entry
“Mirage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mirage. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mirage
noun
mi·rage
mə-ˈräzh 
: an illusion that gives the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of light passing through layers of air having different temperatures
Medical Definition
mirage
noun
mi·rage
mə-ˈräzh
: an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density
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