mirror
mirror — noun
1. a flat piece of specially coated glass that you look into and see your own face,
a flat piece of specially coated glass that you look into and see your own face, your clothes, or other reflected images
Eli checked his tie in the mirror before leaving for the wedding.
collocation: check (oneself) in the mirror
Steam from Sirin's hot shower had fogged up the bathroom mirror completely.
Zayd hung a large mirror on the wall to make the hallway feel wider.
Hamza found an antique mirror at a flea market and hung it above the fireplace.
- looking glass
old-fashioned term for a mirror, rarely used in everyday modern speech
- reflection
not the object itself but the image you see in it; a mirror is the object, a reflection is the image
用法筆記
Commonly used with verbs like 'look in', 'check', 'gaze at', or 'study' when talking about examining one's own reflection.
常見錯誤
2. something that accurately shows or represents the real nature, situation, or cha
something that accurately shows or represents the real nature, situation, or character of another thing — for example, a newspaper article acting as a mirror of public opinion
Felix's article about the hospital closure was a mirror of residents' long-held worries.
pattern: a mirror of something
Daichi's first poetry collection is a mirror of his childhood years spent on his grandparents' farm.
The empty fishing nets along the coast are a mirror of decades of overfishing in the region.
Mira's photography exhibition captured street scenes that serve as a mirror of daily life in Mumbai.
- reflection
more common than 'mirror' in the metaphorical sense; 'a reflection of the times' is more natural than 'a mirror of the times'
- representation
broader term; a representation does not guarantee honesty, whereas a mirror implies truthful depiction
- distortion
something that shows things in a misleading way, unlike a mirror that shows truly
用法筆記
Usually used in the singular with the pattern 'a mirror of [something]'. The verb 'hold a mirror to [something]' is a common fixed expression with this meaning.
mirror — verb
1. to show or represent something in a way that is accurate, honest, and faithful t
to show or represent something in a way that is accurate, honest, and faithful to reality — for example, when news reports mirror the feelings of people affected by an event
Kabir's documentary about the fishing village mirrors the daily struggles of families losing their livelihoods.
collocation: mirror the struggles / concerns / views of
Nia interviewed fifty shop owners to mirror their concerns about the new market regulations.
collocation: mirror the concerns of
Yael felt the film failed to mirror the quiet sadness of her favourite childhood novel.
The test scores at Greenhill Elementary mirror a pattern seen in schools across the state.
- distort
to represent something in a misleading or twisted way
用法筆記
Often used with abstract objects such as concerns, views, feelings, trends, or experiences. Subject is commonly a report, study, statistic, or work of art.
2. to be extremely similar to something else, so that one thing looks or seems like
to be extremely similar to something else, so that one thing looks or seems like a copy of the other — for example, when a child's behaviour mirrors a parent's
The layout of the new park mirrors that of the famous gardens in Kyoto.
pattern: mirror + that of [something]
Emily's career path mirrors her mother's in many surprising ways.
The company's growth in Asia mirrors its earlier success in Europe.
Romi noticed that her sleeping position on the sofa mirrored her cat's exactly.
- differ from
to be unlike or distinct from something else
用法筆記
Frequently used with the pattern 'mirror + that/those of [something]' to compare two things that share the same structure or pattern.
常見錯誤
3. to send a live copy of one gadget's display, such as a phone screen, onto anothe
to send a live copy of one gadget's display, such as a phone screen, onto another display using a cable or wireless connection
Christopher mirrored his phone screen to the TV to show holiday photos.
pattern: mirror [device] screen to [device]
During the team meeting, Ignacio mirrored his laptop display onto the projector.
Piotr showed the class how to mirror an iPad screen to a smartboard wirelessly.
This app lets you mirror your computer screen to a tablet without cables.
用法筆記
Common in computing contexts. The prepositions 'to' and 'onto' indicate the target display. The noun form 'screen mirroring' is also widely used.
4. to adopt the same gestures, facial expressions, way of speaking, or posture as t
to adopt the same gestures, facial expressions, way of speaking, or posture as the person you are talking to, usually without being aware you are doing it, as part of natural social bonding
During the job interview, the candidate kept mirroring the manager's body language.
collocation: mirror someone's body language
Babies often mirror their parents' facial expressions without any awareness of doing so.
Élise noticed that her friend was mirroring her hand gestures during their discussion.
Salespeople are sometimes trained to mirror customers' speech patterns to build trust.
用法筆記
Used especially in psychology, counselling, and sales contexts. The behaviour is typically unconscious, though the term can also describe deliberate techniques taught in rapport-building.
5. to reflect light or an image in the same way that a physical mirror does — used
to reflect light or an image in the same way that a physical mirror does — used especially in descriptive or literary writing about surfaces such as water, glass, or polished metal
The still lake mirrored the full moon perfectly on that quiet night.
collocation: still/calm water mirrors [image]
The polished floor mirrored the warm glow of the candles above it.
Tall glass buildings mirrored the clouds moving across the morning sky.
The surface of the old swimming pool mirrored the empty changing rooms around it.
用法筆記
More common in literary or descriptive prose than everyday conversation. In everyday speech, 'reflect' is preferred for physical light bouncing off surfaces.