mythical being
1
6.5
- noun
- /ˈmɪθɪkəl ˈbiːɪŋ/
:
ser mítico
- You should be extremely suspicious of anyone who tells you that, in order to experience love, generosity, and devotion, you have to believe in Santa Claus or any other mythical being for which there's no good evidence.
Examples
-
That said, I'll be certain to have reasonable conversations with my children about the non-existence of any real god and how many religions have different interpretations of a mythical being that basically wants people "to be excellent to each other.
Blog text (1) -
Other topics are the first war between the two kinds of gods, and the introduction of various mythical beings and their possessions.
Academic text (2018) -
Since we know today that the symbolism of San art is associated with religious belief and the experience of trance, it might rather represent either a mythical being or a shaman.
Academic text (2005) -
"You should be extremely suspicious of anyone who tells you that, in order to experience love, generosity, and devotion, you have to believe in Santa Claus or any other mythical being there's no good evidence for.
Blog text (17) -
In ancient legends, a mythical being often has special powers that can alter the course of events.
-
Many cultures have stories about mythical beings like dragons, fairies, or mermaids that capture the imagination.
-
Children love to hear tales about mythical beings who protect treasure or grant wishes.
Synonyms
417
2.7
A small imagined being that looks like a person and has magic
153
2.3
A very large imaginary person in stories
87
5.5
A white horse with one long horn on its forehead that appears in stories
5
8.0
A large, famous creature like a long-necked animal that people say lives in Loch Ness, Scotland
5
9.9
A large animal that people say lives in Loch Ness, Scotland
5
9.9
A magical being like a fairy in stories and legends
4
5.9
An imaginary being like a dragon or unicorn with magical powers
4
8.1
A being like a ghost or spirit that can affect people
3
9.9
A small magical creature that looks like a tiny person with wings and often plays tricks
1
7.0
A made-up animal or being from old stories that people often say is real
1
8.1
A frightening creature from stories or legends that is not real
1
5.8
A character from traditional stories who has magical powers
A made-up being that exists only in stories or imagination
A creature that people imagine and that is not real
A brave person in old stories who does great deeds
How Mythical
4
8.1
- Literature
1
7.0
1
6.5
- Literature
15
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an imaginary creature' is directly and transparently derived from 'mythical' (existing in traditional stories) + 'being' (an individual life form). This noun phrase follows a straightforward adjective + noun composition that is cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Mythical being comes from two words: mythical, from the word 'myth' meaning an old story, and being, meaning a creature or person. So it paints the image of a creature from those stories, and today it means 'an imaginary creature in myths and legends'.