# magnified

/ˈmæɡnəˌfaɪd/ (US) · /mˈæɡnɪfˌaɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/magnified
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The telescope magnified the distant stars so we could see them clearly.
- The politician's comments were magnified by the media, making a small disagreement into a national scandal.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.