magnifier

Senses

1. 1.

   to magnify; to enlarge

   to make something appear larger or more prominent

2. 2.

   to exaggerate

   to overstate or represent something as greater than it is

Examples

• "Cette lentille magnifie les petits objets."

  This lens magnifies small objects.

• "Il a tendance à magnifier ses succès."

  He tends to exaggerate his successes.

• "Les médias magnifient souvent les scandales."

  The media often blow scandals out of proportion.

Usage

Common in technical and figurative contexts. The verb magnifier literally means "to make magnificent" (from Latin magnus). It's sometimes synonymous with "exagérer" when used figuratively, though magnifier often implies making something appear larger or more impressive rather than simply overstating facts.