The word improve means

1

1

2

improve, better, help, ameliorate 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.

a coat of paint would help that house

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

This operation will greatly improve her chances of survival.

The advertising campaign has improved sales.

Maybe we’ll buy a house when our financial situation improves.

Her writing has improved since the beginning of the school year.

The company has been having steadily improving sales.

Recent Examples on the Web

Damari Alston showed promising signs as a freshman last season and has improved.


—Nubyjas Wilborn | , al, 11 Apr. 2023




Such capabilities had ample precedents, but widespread availability of GPS guidance, the decline of arms control treaties, and hugely improved satellite and drone reconnaissance for target acquisition make such arms more effective, affordable, and accessible than before.


—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 11 Apr. 2023




This sign is open to adjusting in order to perfect or improve something.


—Jacqueline Tempera, Women’s Health, 11 Apr. 2023




Marked changes in behavior: social connections, goals, sleep, emotionality and even drastically improved mood.


—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2023




As observational and analysis techniques improved, astronomers uncovered cooler planets as well, but even today these are still difficult to detect.


—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023




Much of West, a city of 2,500 people located 80 miles south of Dallas, has improved since the blast, Mayor Tommy Muska said.


—USA Today, 10 Apr. 2023




Vogt wrote that the swift updating of the cars’ software demonstrates a benefit of autonomous technology, which can be constantly monitored and improved upon.


—Andrea Guzman, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2023




But improving the diet of an individual, let alone a population, is challenging.


—Christopher Damman, Fortune Well, 10 Apr. 2023


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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘improve.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Etymology

Middle English improuen, emprouen, from Anglo-French emprouer to make profit from, from French en- + pru, prou advantage, from Late Latin prode — more at proud

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of improve was
in 1509

Other forms: improved; improving; improves

When you improve something, you make it better. For example, you can improve your harmonica playing with practice.

Be happy when you see this word, because something is getting better — improving. Getting a tutor will usually improve your grades. Sleeping well improves your health and alertness. A haircut could improve your looks. Painters have to decide whether a painting is finished or if it can still be improved. Voters decide which candidate will improve the nation. Sometimes a sick patient will mysteriously improve. The opposite of improve is worsen or deteriorate.

Definitions of improve

1. “The editor
   improved the manuscript with his changes”

   synonyms:

   ameliorate, amend, better, meliorate

   ameliorate, better, meliorate

   get better

   see moresee less

   Antonyms:

   aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate, worsen

   make worse

   types:

   show 65 types…

   hide 65 types…

   alleviate, assuage, palliate, relieve

   provide physical relief, as from pain

   aid, help

   improve the condition of

   regenerate, revitalize

   restore strength

   enrich

   make better or improve in quality

   build up, develop

   change the use of and make available or usable

   turn around

   improve dramatically

   help

   improve; change for the better

   upgrade

   improve what was old or outdated

   condition

   put into a better state

   emend

   make improvements or corrections to

   iron out, put right, straighten out

   settle or put right

   enhance

   make better or more attractive

   bushel, doctor, fix, furbish up, mend, repair, restore, touch on

   restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

   reform

   make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices

   reform

   improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition

   beautify, embellish, fancify, prettify

   make more beautiful

   build

   improve the cleansing action of

   hone, perfect

   refine or make more perfect or effective

   down, fine-tune, polish, refine

   improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

   distill, make pure, purify, sublimate

   remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation

   fructify

   make productive or fruitful

   lift, raise

   invigorate or heighten

   advance

   develop further

   upgrade

   give better travel conditions to

   educate

   give an education to

   groom, neaten

   care for one’s external appearance

   curry, dress, groom

   give a neat appearance to

   soothe

   cause to feel better

   bring around, cure, heal

   provide a cure for, make healthy again

   comfort, ease

   lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate

   redevelop

   change the plans for the use of (land)

   fill out, round out

   make bigger or better or more complete

   optimise, optimize

   make optimal; get the most out of; use best

   choke, throttle

   reduce the air supply

   recondition

   bring into an improved condition

   follow up

   increase the effectiveness or success of by further action

   retouch, touch up

   alter so as to produce a more desirable appearance

   rejuvenate

   make younger or more youthful

   fiddle, tinker

   try to fix or mend

   fill

   plug with a substance

   patch, piece

   repair by adding pieces

   cobble

   repair or mend

   point, repoint

   repair the joints of bricks

   trouble-shoot, troubleshoot

   solve problems

   patch, patch up

   mend by putting a patch on

   dress up, window-dress

   make something appear superficially attractive

   slick up, smarten up, spiff up, spruce, spruce up, titivate, tittivate

   make neat, smart, or trim

   brush up, burnish, polish, polish up, round, round off

   bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state

   over-refine, overrefine

   refine too much or with excess of subtlety

   rectify, refine

   reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities

   purge

   rid of impurities

   feed, fertilise, fertilize

   provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to

   resole, sole

   put a new sole on

   revamp, vamp

   provide (a shoe) with a new vamp

   heel, reheel

   put a new heel on

   settle

   establish or develop as a residence

   polish, shine, smooth, smoothen

   make (a surface) shine

   darn

   repair by sewing

   benefit, do good

   be beneficial for

   socialise, socialize

   train for a social environment

   groom, prepare, train

   educate for a future role or function

   co-educate, coeducate

   educate persons of both sexes together

   school

   educate in or as if in a school

   civilise, civilize, cultivate, educate, school, train

   teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment

   become, suit

   enhance the appearance of

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

2. “The weather
   improved toward evening”

   synonyms:

   ameliorate, better, meliorate

   ameliorate, amend, better, meliorate

   make better

   see moresee less

   Antonyms:

   decline, worsen

   grow worse

   types:

   show 14 types…

   hide 14 types…

   convalesce, recover, recuperate

   get over an illness or shock

   heal

   get healthy again

   reform, see the light, straighten out

   change for the better

   surge

   see one’s performance improve

   pick up, turn around

   improve significantly; go from bad to good

   bounce back, get over, get well

   improve in health

   heal, mend

   heal or recover

   fructify

   become productive or fruitful

   upgrade

   get better travel conditions

   gain vigor, percolate, perk, perk up, pick up

   gain or regain energy

   snap back

   recover quickly

   scab

   form a scab

   skin over

   grow new skin over an injury

   granulate

   form granulating tissue

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action

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См. также в других словарях:

• improve — im‧prove [ɪmˈpruːv] verb 1. [intransitive, transitive] FINANCE if shares, prices etc improve by a particular amount, they rise by that amount: • Jaguar improved 21p, closing at 665p. improve by • Hungary s dollar current account improved by a… …   Financial and business terms

• improve — 1 Improve, better, help, ameliorate are comparable when denoting to mend or correct in part or in some de gree. Improve, the general term, and better, more vigorous and homely, apply both to objects and to states or conditions that are not of… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

• Improve — Im*prove , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Improved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Improving}.] [Pref. in in + prove, in approve. See {Approve}, {Prove.}] 1. To make better; to increase the value or good qualities of; to ameliorate by care or cultivation; as, to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Improve — Im*prove , v. i. 1. To grow better; to advance or make progress in what is desirable; to make or show improvement; as, to improve in health. [1913 Webster] We take care to improve in our frugality and diligence. Atterbury. [1913 Webster] 2. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• improve — [im pro͞ov′] vt. improved, improving [earlier improw < Anglo Fr emprower < en , in + prou, gain, advantage < LL prode, advantage (back form. < L prodesse, to be of advantage): see PRO 2 & IS1] 1. Now Rare to use profitably or to good… …   English World dictionary

• Improve — Im*prove , v. t. [Pref. im not + prove: cf. L. improbare, F. improuver.] 1. To disprove or make void; to refute. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Neither can any of them make so strong a reason which another can not improve. Tyndale. [1913 Webster] 2. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• improve on — • improve (up)on v To make or get one that is better than (another). Dick made good marks the first year, but he thought he could improve on them. Charles built a new model racer for the derby race, because he knew he could improve upon his old… …   Словарь американских идиом

• improve — I verb advance, ameliorate, amend, appreciate, beautify, correct, cultivate, cure, develop, doctor, edify, edit, elaborate, elevate, embellish, emend, enhance, ennoble, enrich, fix, flourish, gain, gain strength, heighten, help, increase,… …   Law dictionary

• improve — (v.) late 15c., to use to one s profit, to increase (income), from Anglo Fr. emprouwer to turn to profit (late 13c.), from O.Fr. en , causative prefix, + prou profit, from L. prode advantageous (see PROUD (Cf. proud)). Spelling with v was rare… …   Etymology dictionary

• improve — ► VERB 1) make or become better. 2) (improve on/upon) achieve or produce something better than. 3) (improving) giving moral or intellectual benefit. DERIVATIVES improvability noun improvable adjective improver …   English terms dictionary

• Improve — means to make something better. It may also refer to:Improver* Bread improver * Improver Corporation: Improver v Remington, a 1990 United Kingdom patent infringement law court caseImproved* Improved clinch knot, a knot * Most Improved Player, a… …   Wikipedia