mirage:
- an illusion sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over hot pavement that looks like a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted
- something illusory and unattainable like a mirage
(Example: Over the sunny dunes, those distant childhood promises of a better tomorrow shimmer like a mirage in the desert heat. [Reference: Condé Nast Traveler, September 1994])
