English Reference
Verb

magnified

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈmæɡnəˌfaɪd/ UK /mˈæɡnɪfˌaɪd/ mag·ni·fied

v.to make something look or sound much larger than it really is. You use this when you want to show the details of something small or when you want to make a problem seem more important.

v.to increase the apparent size or intensity of something through the use of an optical instrument or by emphasizing its significance. Often used in the passive voice to describe the effect of a lens or a rhetorical technique.


SIMPLE

The telescope magnified the distant stars so we could see them clearly.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician's comments were magnified by the media, making a small disagreement into a national scandal.

COMPLEX

By using a high-powered lens, the scientist was able to magnified the microscopic structures of the leaf, revealing patterns invisible to the naked eye.

A magnified view of a stool sample, seen through a microscope, reveals Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts.

The Conversation· 10 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated