French word

mirage

Pronunciation

IPA/miʁaʒ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmirage

Example

Dans le désert, il a vu un mirage.

In the desert, he saw a mirage.

Illustration for mirage (mirage)

More examples

Sur l'autoroute, on voit souvent un mirage par temps chaud.

On the highway, one often sees a mirage in hot weather.

Core concept

A distant scene seems to float on the ground or in the air, then vanishes as the viewer approaches.

Common phrases

  • voir un mirage

    see a mirage

  • mirage optique

    optical mirage

  • mirage d'eau

    water mirage

Similar words

illusion: A mistaken perception that makes something seem different from what it is.
reflet: An image reflected from water, glass, or another surface by light.
hallucination: A perception of something absent from the external world.
chimère: A fanciful hope or idea with little chance of coming true.

Definition in French

Phénomène optique où une image lointaine paraît sur le sol ou dans l'air à cause de la réfraction de la lumière, et qui s'efface quand on s'en approche.

Word origin

French mirage is formed from mirer, "to look at closely," with the suffix -age, and ultimately connects to Latin mirari, "to wonder at."

Usage tips

  • Mirage is masculine in French, so it takes un: un mirage and ce mirage.

Other meanings

  • illusionnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word