Refract: meaning, example and synonyms
Refractv. To bend a ray of light or other wave as it passes from one medium into another.
Example
Because water refracts light, a straight oar dipped into a calm lake appears to bend sharply at the point where it meets the surface.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Synonyms
- bend, deflect, divert
- Antonyms
- pass straight through
- Memory tip
- re + fract (break): light 'breaks' into a new angle.
Refract is in batch 18. Study it with the rest of the batch, then pass the batch quiz to learn it. No account needed; progress is saved on this device.
Check yourself: Refract in context
A glass prism ______ incoming sunlight, bending each color by a slightly different amount so that a band of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet appears on the far wall.
Answer: refracts. A prism bends light passing through it, which is what refracts means. purloins (steal), ingratiates (win favor by flattery) and articulates (express clearly) don't fit this context.
Desert mirages occur because layers of hot air near the ground ______ light from the sky, making travelers see what looks like a shimmering pool of water on the sand.
Answer: refract. Hot air layers bend light from the sky toward the eye, so refract fits. purloin (steal), enervate (drain of energy) and articulate (express clearly) don't fit this context.