# miracle

Pronunciation: US say "MEER-uh-kuhl" /ˈmiɹ.ə.kəl/; UK say "MIR-uh-kuhl" /ˈmɪɹ.ə.kəl/

## Noun

1. An event that cannot be explained by the laws of nature and is therefore believed to have a supernatural origin.
   - Simple: Something amazing that happens which nature cannot explain, so people believe a higher power caused it.
   - _The villagers called her sudden recovery a miracle and lit candles in thanks._
   - _For centuries, crowds have gathered at the well expecting a miracle._
2. A fortunate result that comes through despite the overwhelming odds stacked against it.
   - Simple: A very lucky result that happens even though it seemed almost impossible.
   - _Their comeback win in the final seconds was nothing short of a miracle._
   - _It took a miracle for the stranded hikers to be found alive after a week._
3. A genuinely awe-inspiring and exceptional example of something.
   - Simple: Something so good or amazing that it stands out from everything else.
   - _This bridge is a miracle of modern engineering._
   - _The new instrument is a miracle of design, light yet astonishingly precise._

## Verb

4. To affect or transform someone or something by means of a miracle.
   - Simple: To change someone or something through a miracle.
   - _The saint was said to miracle the blind man's sight back._
   - _Legends claim the relic could miracle the sick into health._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English miracle, borrowed through Old French miracle from Latin mīrāculum ("object of wonder"), which derives from mīror ("to wonder at") and mīrus ("wonderful"), tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to smile, to be astonished." It partly displaced the native word wonder, from Old English wundor.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/miracle (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).