magnify

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To make greater in size; enlarge.
2. v. To cause to appear greater or seem more important than is in fact the case; exaggerate: You have grossly magnified a trivial situation. See Synonyms at exaggerate.
3. v. To increase the apparent size of, especially by means of a lens.
4. v. To glorify or praise.
5. v. To increase or have the power to increase the size or volume of an image or a sound.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To make greater; increase the size, amount, or extent of; enlarge; augment.
2. To cause to appear greater; increase the apparent dimensions of; enlarge or augment to the eye: as, a convex lens magnifies the bulk of a body to the eye.
3. To exalt the power, glory, or greatness of; sound the praises of; extol; glorify.
4. To represent as greater than the reality; exaggerate: as, to magnify a person's deeds; to magnify the evils of one's lot.

Wiktionary

1. v. To make an object appear larger so one can see it in more detail, such as with a magnifying glass or a telescope.
2. v. To make a situation or an idea appear greater or more important than it is.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To make great, or greater; to increase the dimensions of; to amplify; to enlarge, either in fact or in appearance.
2. v. To increase the importance of; to augment the esteem or respect in which one is held.
3. v. To praise highly; to laud; to extol.
4. v. To exaggerate.
5. v. To have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they really are; to increase the apparent dimensions of objects.
6. v. To have effect; to be of importance or significance.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. increase in size, volume or significance
2. v. make large
3. v. to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth