to magnify
- verb
- /ˈmæɡnɪfaɪ/
- Will the lens inside of your eye magnify the light exactly that same way?
- a magnifying glass
- a magnifying lens
- magnify images
By haplessly magnifying the glassy melancholic interiors.
- By haplessly magnifying the glassy melancholic interiors.
Examples
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Sunlight slanted through the window, its glow magnified by the mirror above her dresser.
Fiction book (1993) -
A glass Dome was then placed to accent the color and to magnify the texture of the paint.
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So I would say while the Internet didn't create it, the Internet can magnify what's out there.
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Inflammation can magnify the symptoms of menopause.
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The fast, almost frenetic tempo of the music is magnified over elaborate sound systems.
Academic text (1995) -
Biopsy cells, when stained and magnified, often take on the physical characteristics of a larger world.
Fiction book (1996) -
Although a dissecting microscope would be ideal, a simple magnifying glass will often suffice.
Academic text (1994) -
The scientist used a magnifying glass to examine the tiny details of the insect's wings.
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You can magnify the image by adjusting the lens on your camera.
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She held the magnifying glass up to the map to read the small print.
Synonyms
To make something bigger in size or amount
To look closely at one part to see small details
To pay close attention to one small part or detail
To make a photo or picture larger so people can see it
Move the camera lens so the subject looks closer or farther
To make something bigger, often in a joking way
Antonyms
How Large
Surface Forms
Morphology
magnify = magnitude (semi-transparent) = magn + ify
The structure is regular ('magn-' + '-ify' = 'make great'), but 'magn-' is a Latin combining form not a standalone English word, so decoding requires knowledge of the learned root.
Etymology
The word magnify comes from the Latin words magnus 'great' and facere 'to make'. So, when a lens magnifies something it 'makes it great' in size and helps you see small details.