myth
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++myth /mɪθ/ ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable, uncountable] 1 BELIEVEan idea or story that many people believe, but which is not true 〔许多人相信的〕错误观念；荒诞说法 SYN fallacymyth of the myth of male superiority 男性优越的错误思想myth that It was important to dispel the myth that AIDS was a gay disease. 一定要消除艾滋病是同性恋疾病的错误认识。2 RMan ancient story, especially one invented in order to explain natural or historical events 〔古代的〕神话 → mythology a book of Greek myths 一本关于希腊神话的图书myth of the myth of Orpheus 关于俄尔甫斯的神话 the giants of myth and fairytale 神话和童话里的巨人 → urban myth► see thesaurus at story COLLOCATIONSverbscreate a myth 制造神话Stalin created a lot of myths about himself. 他制造了大量关于自己的神话。believe a myth 相信错误思想People still believe the myth that money will bring them happiness. 人们依然相信金钱能给他们带来幸福的神话。explode/dispel/debunk a myth (=show that it is not true) 戳穿谬误/消除误解/揭穿错误Our goal is to debunk the myth that science is boring. 我们的目标是消除科学乏味无趣这一错误认识。perpetuate a myth (=make it continue) 让错误观念继续nLet’s stop perpetuating this myth. a myth grows up (=starts) 谬误形成nA number of myths have grown up about their relationship.na myth persists (=it continues)The myth still persists that we need to build more roads.nmyth has it that ... (=there is a myth that)Myth had it that Mrs Thatcher only needed four hours sleep a night.adjectivesa common/popular myth (=that many people believe) 很普遍的错误思想Contrary to popular myth, most road accidents are not the result of speeding. 与人们的普遍看法相反，大多数交通事故都不是超速驾驶造成的。a modern myth 现代神话nIs it a modern myth that we are living in a classless society?a powerful myth (=that has a lot of influence on people) 有很大影响力的错误认识nThere is a powerful myth that crime has increased – in fact there was much more crime 100 years ago.an enduring myth (=that has continued for a long time) 长期的错误观念nThe idea that Kennedy was shot by the CIA is one of the enduring myths of our time.phrasesbe a complete/total myth 完全是个错误It’s a complete myth that eating carrots helps you to see in the dark. 吃胡萝卜可以提高你在黑暗中的视力，这完全是个错误观念。be a bit of a myth (=be not really true) 有一点误解nThe whole story is a bit of a myth.the myths surrounding something (=relating to something) 对某事物的误解nthe myths surrounding rural life
Examples from the Corpus
myth• Some have concluded that the current-account deficit is a myth.• It is a myth that battered women deserve or want to be beaten.• It's just a myth that divorced dads don't care about their kids.• Instead, he has ambitiously attempted an updating of the Biblical myths that have always informed the act of literary creation.• But myths, folk tales, legends and, yes, religious stories are different.• Opera combines myth, music, and drama.• The first myth about motherhood is that new mothers instantly fall in love with their babies.• a ballet based on a Greek myth• And among all such positive forces, living myth stands first.• However, neither myth nor truth stands alone in the objective sense.• The heroes of myth all had some point of weakness.• But her scenarios are without irony, studies of skin as flesh rather than repositories of myth and moral fable.• The myth tells of how the gods sent fire to the earth in flashes of lightning.• This myth, it is apparent, exists in two aspects.• Before proceeding further it would perhaps be as well to dispel one or two myths.myth of• the Greek myth of Medea• This exhibition explores the myths and realities of sharks.Origin myth (1800-1900) Greek mythos “story, speech, myth”myth noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
or but an idea people that believe, Corpus many story
myth
myth /mɪθ/
noun [uncountable and countable]
SYN fallacy
myth of
the myth of male superiority
myth that
It was important to dispel the myth that Aids was a gay disease.
2. an ancient story, especially one invented in order to explain natural or historical events ⇨ mythology:
a book of Greek myths
myth of
the myth of Orpheus
the giants of myth and fairytale ⇨ urban myth
■ verbs
▪create a myth Stalin created a lot of myths about himself.
▪believe a myth People still believe the myth that money will bring them happiness.
▪explode/dispel/debunk a myth (=show that it is not true) Our goal is to debunk the myth that science is boring.
▪perpetuate a myth (=make it continue) Let’s stop perpetuating this myth.
▪a myth grows up (=starts) A number of myths have grown up about their relationship.
▪a myth persists (=it continues) The myth still persists that we need to build more roads.
▪myth has it that ... (=there is a myth that) Myth had it that Mrs Thatcher only needed four hours sleep a night.
■ adjectives
▪a common/popular myth (=that many people believe) Contrary to popular myth, most road accidents are not the result of speeding.
▪a modern myth Is it a modern myth that we are living in a classless society?
▪a powerful myth (=that has a lot of influence on people) There is a powerful myth that crime has increased – in fact there was much more crime 100 years ago.
▪an enduring myth (=that has continued for a long time) The idea that Kennedy was shot by the CIA is one of the enduring myths of our time.
■ phrases
▪be a complete/total myth It’s a complete myth that eating carrots helps you to see in the dark.
▪be a bit of a myth (=be not really true) The whole story is a bit of a myth.
▪the myths surrounding something (=relating to something) the myths surrounding rural life
▪ story a description of how something happened that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary: a ghost story | a love story | It’s a story about a man who loses his memory. | a book of short stories
▪tale a story about strange imaginary events, or exciting events that happened in the past: a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen | I loved hearing tales of his travels.
▪myth noun [uncountable and countable] a very old imaginary story about gods and magical creatures: an ancient myth | Greek and Roman myths
▪legend noun [uncountable and countable] an old story about brave people or magical events that are probably not true: popular legends of the creation of the world | According to legend, King Arthur was buried there.
▪fable a traditional imaginary short story that teaches a moral lesson, especially a story about animals: the fable of the tortoise and the hare | a Chinese fable
▪epic a story told in a long book, film, or poem which is about great or exciting events, especially in history: an epic about 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallace
▪saga a story about a series of events that take place over a long period of time, especially events involving one family: a family saga beginning in the 1880s
▪yarn informal a long exciting story that is not completely true: The movie’s a rattling good yarn and full of action.
myth /mɪθ/
noun [uncountable and countable] Date: 1800-1900
Language: Greek
Origin: mythos 'story, speech, myth'
1. an idea or story that many people believe, but which is not true Language: Greek
Origin: mythos 'story, speech, myth'
SYN fallacy
myth of
myth that
2. an ancient story, especially one invented in order to explain natural or historical events ⇨ mythology:
myth of
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