miracle
gb/mˈɪɹəkəl/ us/mˈɪɹəkəl/
B1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
event
1
supernatural event from God
A very special event that seems to break normal rules of nature and is believed to come from God or another power we cannot see.
Usage pattern:
[someone] prays for a miracle
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse religious and non-religious uses. When people say something is 'a miracle' in daily speech, it is often not literally religious but just means very lucky or surprising.
Synonyms
divine intervention (More formal and explicitly religious; stresses action taken by a god.)
|
wonder (Can mean a miraculous event, but is broader and often less strongly religious.)
Antonyms
ordinary event (Stresses that nothing supernatural or surprising is involved.)
Collocations
a miracle from God
|believe in miracles
|pray for a miracle
|perform a miracle
|divine miracle
|miracle worker
Themes
religion
|beliefs
|philosophy
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many pilgrims came to the site, hoping to witness a miracle.
- The villagers believed that the sudden rain after months of drought was a miracle.
- In the story, the saint performs a miracle and heals the blind man.
- She said her recovery was not medicine but a miracle from God.
- The priest told them that miracles do not always look the way we expect.
Learner examples
- They prayed for a miracle when the child became very sick.
- Some people believe that miracles still happen today.
- The old woman said it was a miracle that the storm stopped so suddenly.
- In the movie, a miracle saves the city from danger.
Noun
B1
event
2
almost impossible lucky result
A very good result that you did not expect and that was almost impossible.
Usage pattern:
it is a miracle that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget the article and say *"it is miracle"* instead of *"it is a miracle"*. Because 'miracle' is a countable noun in this sense, it needs 'a' or 'the' when singular.
Synonyms
blessing (Emphasizes the feeling of being thankful, sometimes with a light religious tone.)
|
stroke of luck (Informal; stresses chance rather than anything supernatural.)
Antonyms
misfortune (A bad and unlucky event instead of a very good and lucky one.)
Collocations
it's a miracle
|a small miracle
|a miracle that [clause]
|a miracle we [verb]
|against all odds, a miracle
Themes
daily_life
|emotions
|conversation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It's a miracle we caught the last train in that traffic.
- After weeks of searching, it felt like a miracle when the dog finally came home.
- With such a small budget, getting the project finished on time was a minor miracle.
- Given his injuries, doctors said it was a miracle that he could walk again.
- It will take a miracle for them to win after such a bad start.
Learner examples
- It is a miracle that no one was hurt in the crash.
- With all this rain, it will be a miracle if the game happens.
- It felt like a small miracle when I found my lost phone.
- The teacher said it would be a miracle if the class stayed quiet.
Noun
B2
entity
3
extremely impressive achievement or feat
A very impressive and difficult result that seems almost impossible to do or make.
Usage pattern:
a miracle of [field]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse this sense and call ordinary good things 'a miracle of something'. It is usually used only for results that are unusually impressive or difficult.
Synonyms
marvel (Very similar, but often a little more formal or literary.)
|
masterpiece (Stresses artistic or creative perfection rather than the sense of the impossible.)
Antonyms
failure (An attempt that does not succeed, the opposite of an amazing success.)
Collocations
a miracle of modern technology
|a miracle of engineering
|a miracle of modern science
|economic miracle
|a miracle of design
Themes
technology
|society
|culture
|core_vocabulary
|work
Examples
- The bridge is a miracle of modern engineering.
- Cleaning up the company’s finances in just one year was a miracle of management.
- The new drug is being hailed as a miracle of medical science.
- For many, the country’s rapid growth in the 1990s was an economic miracle.
- Packing all our furniture into one small van was a miracle of planning.
Learner examples
- This tiny computer is a miracle of technology.
- Her fast language learning is a miracle of hard work and talent.
- The hospital is a miracle of modern science and organization.
- The city’s clean air is a miracle after years of pollution.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
4
person or thing seen as miraculous
A person or thing that is alive, healthy, or successful when this seemed almost impossible.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a miracle
Synonyms
wonder (Can also mean a very special person or thing, but is less tied to survival or extreme unlikeliness.)
Antonyms
lost cause (Informal; describes a person or thing that people think can no longer be helped or saved.)
Collocations
miracle baby
|medical miracle
|our little miracle
|a walking miracle
|a miracle child
Themes
family
|health
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After all the complications, they call their son their little miracle.
- Doctors described the patient as a medical miracle after he woke from the long coma.
- She was a miracle child, born after years of failed treatments.
- Given his rough childhood, the fact that he is happy and stable now feels like a miracle.
- Everyone says the building itself is a miracle, still standing after the earthquake.
Learner examples
- They say their baby is a miracle because she was born very early but is healthy.
- The man is a walking miracle after living through so many accidents.
- For her parents, she is a miracle child.
- The doctor said, "You are a miracle to be alive."
Grammar
Dictionary form
miracle
IPA
GB/mˈɪɹəkəl/
US/mˈɪɹəkəl/
Syllables & stress
mir - acle (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mir)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: miracle
- Plural: miracles
Word family
Forms
miracles
noun
Core family
miraculous
adjective B2
miraculously
adverb
Advanced or less common
miraculousness
noun
Expressions
by some miracle
1/bˈaɪ sˈʌm mˈɪɹəkəl/
fixed phrase
in a very unlikely lucky way
Used to say that something good happened in a way that was very unlikely and lucky.
Examples
- By some miracle, we found a taxi right away.
- He made it to the airport on time, by some miracle.
- The file, by some miracle, was still on the server.
it's a miracle
1/ˈɪts ə mˈɪɹəkəl/
fixed phrase
saying something very unlikely happened
Used to say that something very unlikely and good has happened, often with surprise or relief.
Examples
- It's a miracle nobody was hurt in that crash.
- With all this snow, it's a miracle the plane took off on time.
- After all our mistakes, it's a miracle we passed the exam.
miracle cure
1/mˈɪɹəkəl kjˈʊɹ/
fixed phrase
treatment that completely solves a problem
A treatment that is said to quickly and completely solve a health problem or other problem, often in a way that is not realistic.
Examples
- There is no miracle cure for stress, but exercise can help.
- The ad promises a miracle cure for hair loss.
- Scientists warned the public not to expect a miracle cure overnight.
work miracles
1/wˈɚk mˈɪɹəkəlz/
idiom
achieve very good surprising results
To make very good and surprising changes, often in a difficult situation.
Examples
- A good night’s sleep can work miracles for your mood.
- The new coach has worked miracles with the team this season.
- This cream won’t work miracles, but it can help your skin a little.
perform a miracle
1/pɚfˈɔɹm ə mˈɪɹəkəl/
idiom
succeed in something almost impossible
To succeed in doing something that seemed almost impossible.
Examples
- The doctor practically performed a miracle by saving both mother and child.
- You’ll have to perform a miracle to finish this report by tomorrow.
- The chef performed a miracle and fed fifty guests with very little food.
perform a miracle
2/pɚfˈɔɹm ə mˈɪɹəkəl/
idiom
informal
Achieve something very unlikely or difficult
To do something that seems impossible.
Examples
- The doctor performed a miracle by saving her life.
- It will take someone to perform a miracle to fix this mess.