miracle

miracle
mir‧a‧cle /ˈmɪrəkəl/ noun [countable]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.