Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Made to appear larger than normal: Describes something that has been increased in size, scale, or importance, often through optical means like a lens or through figurative emphasis.
   • Exaggerated or amplified: Can describe a perception, detail, or problem that has been made to seem more significant or intense than it actually is.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The scientist observed the cell through a magnified image. (The scientist observed the cell through an image that was made larger.)
  • Her anxiety felt magnified by the silence in the room. (Her anxiety felt intensified or amplified by the silence in the room.)
  • The report presented a magnified view of the minor issue. (The report presented an exaggerated view of the minor issue.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be magnified by": to be increased or intensified due to a specific factor.
  • The sound of the waves was magnified by the cave's acoustics. (The sound of the waves was made louder by the cave's acoustics.)

Variants and Related Words

• Magnify (verb): To make something appear larger, or to exaggerate its importance.
  • A telescope can magnify distant stars. (A telescope can make distant stars appear larger.)
• Magnification (noun): The process of magnifying or the degree to which something is magnified.
  • The microscope has a high magnification power. (The microscope has a high power to make things appear larger.)
• Magnifying glass (noun phrase): A lens that makes objects look bigger.
  • He used a magnifying glass to read the small print. (He used a lens that enlarges to read the small print.)

Synonyms

• Enlarged: Made bigger in size.
• Exaggerated: Represented as larger, better, or worse than is true.
• Amplified: Increased in volume, size, or effect.
• Enhanced: Increased or improved in quality, value, or extent.

Antonyms

• Minimized: Reduced to the smallest possible amount or degree.
• Diminished: Made smaller or less.
• Reduced: Made smaller in size, amount, or degree.

Related Phrases

• Magnified out of all proportion: Describes something exaggerated to an unreasonable degree.
  • The media magnified the politician's minor error out of all proportion. (The media exaggerated the politician's minor error to an unreasonable degree.)

Adjective

1. enlarged to an abnormal degree
   • thick lenses exaggerated the size of her eyes