mythical

/ˈmɪθɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɪθɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmi-thi-kəl/ (ame, mw)

mythical — 形容詞

  • mythicalpositive
  • more mythicalcomparative
  • most mythicalsuperlative

1. appearing in ancient stories about gods and heroes, but not part of recorded his

1.形容詞B2
釋義

神話的

存在於古老神話故事中的

appearing in ancient stories about gods and heroes, but not part of recorded history — for example, a creature with the body of a horse and the head of a lion.

例句

Antonia read a bedtime story about a mythical dragon that guarded a mountain pass.

Antonia 念了一個關於守護山口的神話飛龍的睡前故事。

mythical + noun (creature)

The phoenix is a mythical bird that bursts into flames and is reborn from its own ashes.

鳳凰是一種神話中的鳥，會燃燒成灰，再從自己的灰燼中重生。

mythical + noun used in identifying sentence

同義詞
  • legendary

    often used the same way for story-creatures, but also has the 'extremely famous' shade

  • mythological

    more formal; usually refers to the system of myths rather than a single creature

  • folkloric

    leans toward regional folk traditions rather than classical myth

反義詞
  • historical

    actually happened and is recorded as fact

  • real

    exists in the physical world

文法句型

mythical + noun

be + mythical

用法筆記

Subject is usually a creature, hero, place, or object from a named tradition (Greek, Norse, Chinese, etc.). Distinguish from sense 2: mythical here means the thing belongs to a body of old stories, not just that it is imaginary in general.

常見錯誤

❌The unicorn is a mythological animal in my novel.
✅The unicorn is a mythical animal in my novel.
💡'mythological' usually describes the study of myths or the system of stories; 'mythical' describes the creature itself.

2. imagined rather than true — used when someone treats an idea, person, or thing a

2.形容詞B2
釋義

虛構的

其實並不存在、僅是想像出來的

imagined rather than true — used when someone treats an idea, person, or thing as if it existed, but in fact it does not.

例句

Yael argued that the perfect work-life balance is mythical for parents of young children.

Yael 主張，對於有幼兒的父母來說，完美的工作生活平衡根本是虛構的。

be + mythical (predicative, abstract subject)

Politicians keep promising a mythical tax cut that somehow pays for itself.

政客一再承諾一種虛構的減稅方案，說它可以自己付清成本。

mythical + abstract noun (sceptical tone)

同義詞
  • imaginary

    neutral; just means 'exists only in the mind'

  • fictitious

    formal; often used in legal or factual writing about invented people or claims

  • fabled

    leans poetic, often suggests admiration as well as unreality

反義詞
  • real

    actually exists

  • genuine

    actually what it claims to be

文法句型

mythical + noun

be + mythical

用法筆記

Often used with a sceptical or humorous tone about something the speaker thinks does not really exist. Common objects: solution, balance, shortcut, day. Distinguish from sense 1: here there is no link to old stories — only the speaker's claim that the thing is imaginary.

常見錯誤

❌My missing keys are mythical in the kitchen.
✅My missing keys seem to have vanished from the kitchen.
💡'mythical' is about things people only believe in, not about lost objects.

3. so famous and admired that people talk about it the way they talk about characte

3.形容詞C1
釋義

傳奇般的

出名到被當成傳奇人物般談論

so famous and admired that people talk about it the way they talk about characters from old legends — for example, a player whose great match is retold for decades.

例句

Soraya's grandmother is mythical in the village for the spicy beef noodles she sells every Sunday.

Soraya 的祖母在村裡有著傳奇般的名聲，她每個星期天都會賣自己做的香辣牛肉麵。

be + mythical for + reason (predicative)

Fans still tell stories about the goalkeeper's mythical save in the 1998 final.

球迷至今仍在傳頌那位門將在 1998 年決賽中傳奇般的撲救。

mythical + event noun (admiring tone)

同義詞
  • legendary

    very close in meaning; legendary is more common in everyday speech

  • iconic

    famous as a symbol of something, often a generation or a place

  • fabled

    literary; suggests the fame has spread through repeated retelling

反義詞
  • unknown

    the opposite — no one has heard of it

  • ordinary

    nothing special about it

文法句型

mythical + noun

almost / near mythical

用法筆記

Always carries admiration. Often follows 'near', 'almost', or 'like a'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a creature from old stories) and sense 2 (something the speaker thinks is not real): here the thing IS real, just very famous in its world.

常見錯誤

❌The new restaurant became mythical after one good review.
✅The new restaurant became famous after one good review.
💡'mythical' in this sense needs long-standing, almost legend-like reputation, not quick popularity.