mir ‧ a ‧ cle /ˈmɪrək ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin miraculum ]
1 . something very lucky or very good that happens which you did not expect to happen or did not think was possible:
It’s a miracle you weren’t killed!
By some miracle, we managed to catch the plane.
the economic miracle of the 1950s.
She’s our miracle baby.
small/minor miracle (=something lucky but not very important)
The fence’s survival in these winds seems like a minor miracle.
2 . an action or event believed to be caused by God, which is impossible according to the ordinary laws of nature:
Do you believe in miracles?
3 . miracle cure/drug a very effective medical treatment that cures even serious diseases:
There is no miracle cure for diabetes.
4 . work/perform miracles to have a very good effect or achieve a very good result:
Maybe you should try yoga – it worked miracles for me.
5 . a miracle of something a very good example of something:
The concert tour was an absolute miracle of organization.
a miracle of modern engineering
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ perform/work a miracle (=achieve something very good which no one thought was possible)
The new coach has worked miracles, and the team have won their last four games.
▪ believe in miracles
Do you believe in miracles?
▪ need a miracle
He'll need a miracle to pass this test.
▪ take a miracle (=need a miracle)
it would take a miracle to transform her into an elegant woman.
▪ hope for a miracle
I knew I would probably never walk again, but I couldn’t help hoping for a miracle.
▪ pray for a miracle
We prayed for a miracle, but her burns were so severe that she did not survive.
▪ a miracle happens
Then the miracle happened – there was a job, and I could have it.
■ adjectives
▪ a minor/small miracle (=something lucky but not very important)
I’d managed to produce a good meal in half an hour, which seemed like a minor miracle.
▪ an economic miracle
Brazil seemed to be experiencing an economic miracle.
■ miracle + NOUN
▪ a miracle worker (=someone who performs miracles)
A doctor is just a person, not a miracle worker.
▪ a miracle cure (=something that solves a problem very effectively)
Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure for thinning hair.
▪ a miracle drug (=a very effective drug that cures a serious disease)
Why is this new miracle drug so expensive?
■ phrases
▪ it’s a miracle (that)
It’s a miracle you weren’t killed
▪ something is no miracle
It was no miracle, it was just good planning and leadership.
▪ something is nothing short of a miracle (=it is extremely unexpected and you are very pleased about it)
What has happened is nothing short of a miracle.
▪ don't expect miracles
Don’t expect miracles. A hairdresser can't make a 50-year-old look like a 20-year-old.