magnify

verb

mag·​ni·​fy ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 

magnified; magnifying

transitive verb

1

a

: extol, laud

while they magnified the art, they often belittled the artist

—Havelock 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 beauty

—Alan 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

Synonyms

• color
• elaborate (on)
• embellish
• embroider
• exaggerate
• hyperbolize
• pad
• stretch

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

The risk to this cryptocurrency is further magnified by increasingly leveraged positions, lack of intrinsic value, and susceptibility to market manipulation due to limited supply. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Venus in Aquarius is energizing your ninth house of exploration and higher learning, while Jupiter magnifies your charisma and confidence amidst transiting your sign. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024

In recent years, however, those concerns have magnified. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024

Getty Images ETFs that give that give retail investors magnified exposure to individual stocks are booming. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

magnify

verb

mag·​ni·​fy ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 

magnified; magnifying

1

: extol, praise

2

a

: to increase in importance

b

: exaggerate

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 

magnified; magnifying

transitive verb

: to enlarge in appearance

intransitive verb

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