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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 While widespread awareness of breast cancer has helped save lives, persistent myths about the disease continue to cause dangerous delays in screening, treatment and follow-up. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 The Delphic oracle was not a myth Amid the myths and fiction of ancient Greece, the Delphic oracle was very much a historical fact. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 This was the beginning of the myth, as the documentary presents it. — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 Nalla Roberts has been fascinated with tales like this for years, growing obsessed with Greek myths in her childhood. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 7 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
  • The exact story of how coffee was discovered isn’t known for sure, but one popular legend says an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi noticed that when his goats ate from a red berry plant, they were infused with energy and stayed awake all night.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Honoring the legend with your meat is the only way to truly pay your respects.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of legend
Noun
  • Taking a cue from Dante himself, Curci also borrowed motifs from popular mythology.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In mythology, a centaur is a composite creature with the head, arms and torso of a human joined to the body and legs of a horse.
    — Alexandra J. Zanela, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythology
Noun
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Using a fable-like tone, the film provides a fresh perspective on the G8 violence that became a watershed moment in the anti-globalization movement.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Ajon [Singh] talked a lot about that fable of the two wolves.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • John Henry, one of the most famous characters in American folklore, was in fact a Black man who died while part of a prison work gang excavating a railway tunnel in western Virginia in the early 1870s.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The National Weather Service says there are two versions of the folklore.
    — Ray Petelin, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of folklore
Noun
  • In a number of wrongful death lawsuits, ChatGPT is blamed for driving users to experience harmful delusions and, in some cases, to commit suicide.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But a line like that also fleshes out the head-in-the-stratosphere delusions of everyone here.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • What was intended to be a day of camaraderie, tradition and celebration has been marked by profound sadness.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Selig in essence dumped his team’s AL tradition for a few more home games with the Cubs and their money-spending fans from the North Shore.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of tradition
Noun
  • Someone who visits the malicious website directly may see a 404 error page instead of the fake installer.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The experts, who had all studied AI in academic settings, all brought up the ironies of the automation problem, where AI makes errors that humans can’t catch.
    — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of error

Browse Nearby Words

mystiques
myth
mythical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Myth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/myth. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on myth

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about myth

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All