noun
1 story from ancient times
ADJECTIVE
▪ ancient , classical
▪ religious
▪ Biblical
▪ Christian , Greek , Norse , Roman , etc.
▪ creation (= that explains how the world began)
▪
the creation ~s of the Inuit
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ about
▪
the ~ about the golden apple
2 idea/belief which is untrue/impossible
ADJECTIVE
▪ great
▪
There is a great ~ that people who wear glasses are more intelligent.
▪ common
▪ powerful
▪ enduring , persistent , prevailing
▪ complete ( esp. BrE ), total
▪
It's a total ~ that this causes blindness.
▪ modern
▪ folk , popular , urban , widespread
▪ national
▪
The battle has become part of national ~.
▪ historical , political
▪
The propaganda of both sides relies heavily on historical ~.
▪ heroic , romantic
▪
an outlaw who has now assumed the staus of heroic ~
▪ dangerous , pernicious
▪ convenient
VERB + MYTH
▪ create , cultivate , establish , invent
▪
How did the ~ get so firmly established in the popular consciousness?
▪ challenge , question
▪ counter
▪ bust ( AmE , informal ), debunk , deconstruct , demolish , destroy , dispel , disprove , explode , expose , puncture , scotch ( BrE ), shatter
▪ bury , lay to rest , put to rest
▪ feed , foster , keep alive , maintain , perpetuate , promote , propagate , reinforce
▪ spread
▪ peddle ( BrE )
▪
Women have peddled the ~ that all decent men are either married or gay.
▪ be based on
▪
People's faith in the Emperor was based on the ~ that he was infallible.
▪ explore
▪ believe
MYTH + VERB
▪ surround sth
▪
We are trying to lay to rest the ~s surrounding mental illness.
▪ grow up
▪
A ~ has grown up that Fleming didn't realize the potential of penicillin.
▪ persist , remain
▪
The ~ persists that men are more intelligent than women.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ about
▪
a popular ~ about twins
▪ ~ of
▪
an attempt to perpetuate the ~ of racial superiority