myth

noun

ˈmith How to pronounce myth (audio)
Definition of mythnext
1
as in legend
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature according to an ancient Greek myth, humans acquired fire from Prometheus, a Titan who had stolen it from heaven

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2
as in mythology
the body of customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings associated with a people, thing, or place over the years Davy Crockett evolved from an actual person to one of the great figures of American myth

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in illusion
a false idea or belief the idea that alligators can live in the sewers of New York is just a myth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of myth The presentation positioned Zelda products almost as relics representing an ancient myth passed down through history. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026 The myth goes back 2,000 years and holds that the Parthenon, which sits on the Acropolis overlooking Athens, was intentionally constructed with curves to correct various visual illusions and thus appear straight to the human eye. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026 After decades of perspective-shifting literary retellings like Wide Sargasso Sea and The Mists of Avalon and the current trend of feminist Greek myths, Cathy is an enigma begging for some traumatic backstory to staple her flaws together. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Some myths about private capital persist for small-business owners, especially around what an investment actually means for a company. — Frank Williamson, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for myth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for myth
  1. legend
  2. mythology
  3. illusion
  4. fable
  5. folklore
  6. delusion
  7. tradition
  8. error
Noun
  • Gaines was also in the building that night, and her adversary and Olympic legend Simone Biles was the team's guest of honor for that game.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Created by comedy legend Carl Reiner, the show centered on Rob Petrie, played by Dick Van Dyke, who is the head writer for the fictional The Alan Brady Show.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of legend
Noun
  • The Viper Room, Whisky a Go Go, the whole rock-and-roll mythology is outside your door, as is The Comedy Store.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Most biblical scholars read the story of the flood in Genesis as part of a much older tradition of flood mythology from the ancient Near East.
    — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythology
Noun
  • But recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, shattering the illusion that the consequences of the conflict are far removed from ordinary Russians.
    — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Use your illusion Hancock and his team combined multiple lines of evidence to test their hypothesis that the colorful wing patterns of butterflies served as a form of motion dazzle.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Ajon [Singh] talked a lot about that fable of the two wolves.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Is the morality fable at the end an allegory of purgatory or hell?
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • The tale of a girl on the verge of adulthood facing the threat of immigration agents and haunted by specters from Mexican folklore is told through live actors, sophisticated puppetry and an original score of Indigenous percussion.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Domingo plays the eldest daughter of a manananggal – a creature from Philippine folklore that can separate its upper torso from the lower part of its body.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of folklore
Noun
  • The Mayo Clinic defines the mental health condition as typically marked by hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Hill became increasingly paranoid and developed delusions that she was being surveilled.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • The rich collections do a great job of honoring visual traditions and explaining their connections to real people and real places.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But the company is trying to balance those new strategies with its existing traditions.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of tradition
Noun
  • On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Days later, campus administration clarified that their initial communication was an error.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of error

Browse Nearby Words

mystiques
myth
mythical
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Cite this Entry

“Myth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/myth. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on myth

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about myth

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