magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 
magnified; magnifying
1
2
a
: to increase in significance : intensify
… real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beauty …—
Alan Mickle
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.
: 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
That was magnified by the sector-wide struggles of the film and TV businesses, which made Disney’s parks and experiences and consumer products units the single biggest drivers of revenue and profits.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Chapek’s miscues were magnified because Iger didn’t fully exit the organization.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
At the same time, interactions between the two materials boost the electron depletion layer, which magnifies changes in electrical resistance when ethanol is detected, Nanowerk writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
In Unrivaled, they’re magnified.
—Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for magnify
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Chapek’s miscues were magnified because Iger didn’t fully exit the organization.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
At the same time, interactions between the two materials boost the electron depletion layer, which magnifies changes in electrical resistance when ethanol is detected, Nanowerk writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
In Unrivaled, they’re magnified.
—Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for magnify
Cite this Entry
“Magnify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnify. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
2
a
: to increase in importance
b
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
a microscope magnifies an object seen through it
magnifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
: to enlarge in appearance
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
