mirage

noun

mi·​rage mə-ˈräzh 

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.

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Mirage and Vision

Mirage comes from the French verb mirer ("to look at"), which is related to mirror. Mirer, itself, is from Latin mīrārī ("to wonder at"), the ancestor of the commonly seen admire, miracle, and marvel.

Choose the Right Synonym for mirage

delusion, illusion, hallucination, mirage mean something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal.

delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Examples of mirage in a Sentence

A peaceful solution proved to be a mirage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like a mirage in the desert, the 45-room Ion Adventure Hotel seems to materialize out of thin air. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

The baby Fins were back to Earth, sweet mirage yielding to the slap of reality. — Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Season openers often produce outlier performances and knee-jerk overreactions that look like complete mirages by the end of the year. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

However, any sense of security that three-year buffer may have offered was a mirage; Newcastle recognised that, with Hall having so many admirers across Europe, extending his contract had to be an immediate post-window priority. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from mirer "to look at, gaze at" (going back to Old French, going back to Latin mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at") + -age -age — more at admire

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mirage

• barrage
• collage
• corsage
• dressage
• garage
• massage
• montage
• swaraj
• arbitrage
• camouflage
• entourage
• sabotage

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Kids 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