 |
| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | French |
| Origin: | magnifier, from Latin magnificus; MAGNIFICENT |
| |||||||||
mag‧ni‧fy
past tense and past participle magnified, present participle magnifying, third person singular magnifies [transitive]
past tense and past participle magnified, present participle magnifying, third person singular magnifies [transitive]1 to make something seem bigger or louder, especially using special equipment : 
At the Sheffield arena, the speakers were magnified ten times on a giant screen.A public address system magnifies all the little noises and coughs.
At the Sheffield arena, the speakers were magnified ten times on a giant screen.A public address system magnifies all the little noises and coughs.2 to make something seem more important than it really is [= exaggerate]: The report tends to magnify the risks involved.
The report tends to magnify the risks involved.3 formal to make something much worse or more serious : The results of economic mismanagement were magnified by a series of natural disasters.
The results of economic mismanagement were magnified by a series of natural disasters.
