myth

/mɪθ/ (bre, ipa) · /mɪθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmith/ (ame, mw)

myth — noun

  • mythsingular
  • mythsplural

1. a story that comes from the distant past of a culture and tries to answer big qu

1.名詞B1
釋義

a story that comes from the distant past of a culture and tries to answer big questions — such as where the first people came from, why the seasons change, or how a particular custom began

例句

In Greek myth, the god Prometheus stole fire from heaven and gave it to humans.

cultural context: Greek mythology

Yuna's grandmother often told her myths about the spirits that lived in the local forest.

同義詞
  • legend

    focuses on heroic humans and often has a grain of historical truth

  • folklore

    broader term covering all traditional stories, beliefs, and customs of a community

  • fable

    a short tale, usually with animal characters, that teaches a moral lesson

反義詞
  • fact

    something that is known to be true through evidence

  • history

    recorded events based on documents and evidence

文法句型

myth + about + noun

myth + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Can be countable ('a myth about the moon') or uncountable ('Greek myth is full of heroes'). Use 'mythology' for the whole body of myths from one culture.

常見錯誤

❌The story of Mulan is a myth recorded in Chinese history.
✅The story of Mulan is a legend that may be based on a real person.
💡a myth explains the world through gods and natural events; a legend is about heroic humans that may have some historical basis.

2. an idea or belief that a large number of people accept as true, even though it h

2.名詞B1
釋義

an idea or belief that a large number of people accept as true, even though it has no solid evidence behind it

例句

Many people believe the myth that humans only use ten percent of their brains.

pattern: myth + that-clause for common misconception

Élise grew up hearing the myth that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.

同義詞
  • misconception

    a view that is wrong because of incomplete understanding; more formal than myth

  • fallacy

    a false belief based on faulty reasoning; common in academic contexts

  • superstition

    an irrational belief that one thing causes another by magic or luck

反義詞
  • fact

    a piece of information that is known to be true

  • truth

    the real facts about a situation

文法句型

myth + that-clause

It is a myth that...

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense refers to modern false beliefs rather than ancient stories. The that-clause pattern ('It is a myth that...') is very common in explanatory or persuasive writing.

常見錯誤

❌It is a myth that black cats bring bad luck.
✅It is a superstition that black cats bring bad luck.
💡a myth is a widely believed false idea; a superstition is an irrational belief based on magic or luck, not necessarily widely shared.