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 of magnify

• exaggerate
• enhance

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 problem was that thesis got derailed by a temporary loss of momentum in AI stocks – and that derailment was magnified by leverage, which magnifies both gains and losses. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

But the order will leave its mark by magnifying the confusion many parents already face in making decisions about their children’s immunizations. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

The effort to rapidly sell it into diverse clinical settings with customizable financial incentives magnifies the difficulty of evaluating products that directly impact the cost and quality of health services received by millions of Americans. — Casey Ross, STAT, 12 Aug. 2026

Wall Street banks that had lent Situational Awareness gobs of money to magnify its bets issued the fund margin calls—non-negotiable demands to stump up more cash. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for magnify

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

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