myth

noun

MITH/mɪθ/

6 meanings of myth

1
nouncountable
A belief that many people hold but that is not actually true.
Like a rumor that everyone repeats until it sounds true, even though it isn't.
It's a common myth that we only use ten percent of our brains.
The idea that sugar makes kids hyper is just a myth.
Similarmisconception
Oppositefact, truth, reality
Note
2
nouncountable
An old story that explains the world through gods, heroes, or the forces of nature.
Like a bedtime story that also tries to explain why the sun rises each day.
Every culture seems to have a myth about how the world began.
The teacher read us a Greek myth about Persephone and the changing seasons.
Similarlegend, fable, tale, saga
Note
3
noununcountable
Old sacred stories taken together as one kind of storytelling.
Like the way all fairy tales together make up one type of story.
She studies myth alongside history at college.
Greek myth is full of gods who behave like ordinary people.
Similarlegend, folklore
Note
4
nouncountable
A made-up story or idea that someone invented.
Like a made-up excuse that sounds real but never actually happened.
His claim to royal ancestry turned out to be a myth he invented.
The whole alibi was a myth, made up to fool the police.
Similarfiction, fabrication, invention, fantasy
Oppositefact, truth
5
nouncountable
A person or thing that exists only in the imagination and may not be real.
Like a hidden treasure everyone talks about but no one has ever seen.
For years the perfect work-life balance felt like a myth to her.
The monster of the lake remained a myth no one could ever prove.
Similarfantasy, fiction, illusion, fable
Oppositereality, fact
6
nouncountable
A person or thing that people admire so much they treat them almost like a legend.
Like a hero in stories whom everyone looks up to with wonder.
By the end of his career, the boxer had become a myth.
That old guitar player is a myth among local musicians.
Similarlegend, icon, idol

Practice

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Origin

It comes from the Ancient Greek word "mûthos," meaning a word, speech, story, or fable.