mirage

mirage, illusion

noun mee-RAHZH Rare

Origin: French mirer (to look at), from Latin mirare

Usage Note

Mirage originally referred to the optical phenomenon in deserts where heat causes distant objects to appear as water. Figuratively it means any hope or goal that turns out to be an illusion. The word passed into English unchanged. In French it is also the name of a famous series of military fighter jets, le Mirage, built by Dassault.

Examples

"Ce projet était un mirage."

Natural Translation

This project was a mirage.

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