miracle

miracle — noun

1. something that happens that people believe only a god could cause, because it br

1.nounB2
Definition

something that happens that people believe only a god could cause, because it breaks the normal rules of how things work in nature

Example

Eri believed that her grandmother's recovery from the illness was a miracle from heaven.

collocation: miracle from heaven

Zuri heard about a blind man's miracle of regained sight at a shrine.

grammar pattern: miracle of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • divine miracle
  • perform a miracle
  • believe in miracles
  • work a miracle
  • miracle from God
Synonyms
  • divine sign

    more specific — refers to a message or indication from a god, not just any supernatural event

  • supernatural event

    more neutral — describes the phenomenon without implying a specific religious belief

  • wonder

    sounds slightly older or more literary; can also mean something that causes admiration without being divine

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

miracle + of + [noun phrase]

pray for / believe in + miracle

Usage Note

Frequently appears in religious storytelling contexts. Often paired with 'believe in', 'pray for', or 'witness'.

Common Mistakes

The doctor made a miracle surgery.
The doctor performed a miraculous surgery.
'miracle' is a noun; use the adjective 'miraculous' to modify another noun.
I saw a miracle bird in the park.
I saw a miraculous bird in the park.
'miracle' as a noun cannot be used as an adjective in front of another noun.

2. an amazingly lucky event that seems nearly impossible and happens when you least

2.nounB2
Definition

an amazingly lucky event that seems nearly impossible and happens when you least expect it, often saving you from harm

Example

Luca called it a miracle when he found the lost wallet with cash still inside.

collocation: call it a miracle

Cyrus survived the crash with just a few scratches — everyone called it a miracle.

Common collocations
  • medical miracle
  • economic miracle
  • by a miracle
  • miracle escape
  • it is a miracle that
Synonyms
  • stroke of luck

    less dramatic — suggests coincidence rather than near-impossibility

  • blessing

    adds a grateful emotional tone; often used in personal contexts

  • godsend

    informal — something that comes at exactly the right time to help

Antonyms
  • disaster

    a terrible event that causes harm, the opposite of a lucky, positive outcome

  • misfortune

    bad luck, often unexpected, which contrasts with a miracle's positive surprise

Grammar Patterns

by some miracle + [clause]

it is a miracle (that) + clause

Usage Note

Common in the fixed phrase 'by some miracle' used as an adverbial to introduce an unexpected positive outcome. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply any religious or supernatural cause.

Common Mistakes

By miracle, I caught the train.
By some miracle, I caught the train.
'miracle' in this adverbial phrase almost always needs 'some'.
It was a miracle for him to survive.
It was a miracle that he survived.
use a 'that'-clause, not 'for + to-infinitive'.

3. a product or result that is so good it strongly impresses people, achieved throu

3.nounB1
Definition

a product or result that is so good it strongly impresses people, achieved through great skill, effort, or talent in a particular field

Example

Lucía called the new suspension bridge a miracle of modern engineering.

grammar pattern: miracle of + domain

Pim's one-man theatre show in Taipei was a miracle of storytelling praised by every critic.

Common collocations
  • miracle of engineering
  • miracle of technology
  • miracle of design
  • miracle worker
Synonyms
  • masterpiece

    typically used for creative works (art, music, literature); implies enduring quality

  • feat

    emphasises the difficulty of the achievement rather than the excellence of the result

  • triumph

    adds a sense of overcoming obstacles; often used in competitive or challenging contexts

Antonyms
  • failure

    a result that did not meet expectations — the opposite of an amazing achievement

Grammar Patterns

a miracle of + [domain noun]

Common Mistakes

His cooking was a miracle in the kitchen.
His cooking was a miracle of kitchen skill.
sense 3 uses 'of', not 'in', to introduce the domain.
The team achieved a miracle.' (vague)
The team's project completion in two weeks was a miracle of coordination.
be specific about which area of activity the achievement belongs to.
Idioms

work/perform miracles

idiom

To produce extremely good or surprising results.

The new teacher worked miracles with the struggling math class.

Can you perform miracles and finish this report by noon?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe a positive, unexpected event, but they differ in intensity and connotation. 'Miracle' (sense 2) is the strongest, suggesting an outcome so unlikely it feels almost impossible — often used in everyday exaggeration ('It's a miracle the vase didn't break'). 'Stroke of luck' is lighter and more neutral, focusing on coincidence rather than wonder ('Finding a parking spot was a stroke of luck'). 'Blessing' carries a grateful, often emotional tone and is common in personal contexts ('Your help has been a blessing'). 'Godsend' is informal and describes something that arrives at exactly the right time to solve a problem ('That cash bonus was a godsend'). For example, if your train leaves without you but then gets delayed down the line, catching it is a stroke of luck — but surviving a free fall from a building is a miracle.

miracle ↗stroke of luck ↗blessing ↗godsend

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by some miracle
  • work miracles
  • miracle of nature
  • miracle cure

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'miracle' entered English through Old French 'miracle', which came from Latin 'miraculum' meaning 'object of wonder'. The Latin root 'mirari' means 'to wonder at' and is also the source of 'mirror' (something you wonder at when you see yourself) and 'admire' (to wonder at someone). Over time, the meaning shifted from any amazing thing toward events specifically attributed to divine power, though the broader lucky-event sense later re-emerged in everyday English.