improve

verb

im-ˈprüv How to pronounce improve (audio)
Definition of improvenext
as in to enhance
to make better a little salt would improve this bland food

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word improve distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of improve are ameliorate, better, and help. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care
immigrants hoping to better their lot

When is it sensible to use ameliorate instead of improve?

Although the words ameliorate and improve have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

When would help be a good substitute for improve?

While the synonyms help and improve are close in meaning, help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of improve His performances improved for the second half of the season, with Baleba looking reinvigorated after a solid AFCON campaign in which Cameroon reached the quarter-finals. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Six Flags has made leadership changes Six Flags also has undergone significant leadership restructuring as part of its efforts to improve financial performance. — Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026 Even deeper cuts could follow if the situation on the Colorado River doesn’t improve. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 However, Suminski said, improving housing inventory and a recent decline in mortgage rates could give buyers more options as the market moves into the slower fall season. — Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for improve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improve
  1. enhance
  2. help
Verb
  • Meta agreed to impose changes including a default two-hour daily time limit for teens across Facebook and Instagram, muted notifications during school hours, and enhanced parental controls, with more updates potentially on the horizon.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders must prioritize building cognitive and identity infrastructure, focusing on *how* people think and their self-authorship, ensuring AI enhances human judgment rather than standardizing it.
    — Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of enhance
Verb
  • Having Maxx Crosby back on the field will help, but improvements need to be made if the Raiders want to be competitive.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The committee would eventually disband without an answer, despite the fact that Selig had helped engineer the sale of the team in 2005 to Lew Wolff, an old University of Wisconsin frat buddy, and John Fisher.
    — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of help

Browse Nearby Words

improvable
improve
improved
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Improve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improve. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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