Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

amends

American  
[uh-mendz] / əˈmɛndz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

  1. reparation or compensation for a loss, damage, or injury of any kind; recompense.

    Synonyms:
    restitution, redress

  2. Obsolete. improvement; recovery, as of health.

idioms

  1. make amends, to compensate, as for an injury, loss, or insult.

    I tried to make amends for the misunderstanding by sending her flowers.
amends British  
/ əˈmɛndz /

noun

  1. (functioning as singular) recompense or compensation given or gained for some injury, insult, etc

    to make amends
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
amends More Idioms  

  1. see make amends.

Etymology

Origin of amends

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English amendes, from Middle French, plural of amende “reparation,” noun derivative of amender “to repair, correct errors in, improve the condition of”; amend

Explanation

So you blew the surprise party by mentioning it in passing to the birthday girl. Now, you have to do something to make amends, or reparations, to the boyfriend who worked all day to set up the party. When you make amends, you mend something you have damaged, like a deal, or relationship. Maybe, your cupcake shop was panned by a food critic in the paper, but he never went to your store, he went to that awful cupcake shop across the street. The critic should make amends by printing a retraction.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing amends

The Kite Runner

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The One and Only Ivan

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

A Christmas Carol

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This season of “Summer House” has shown Wilson and Miller making amends to continue their friendship.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

On Sunday, Rheinmetall tagged Kamyshin in a post on its own X account in which it sought to make amends.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Those that do so, he said in an interview, could expect his help to “make amends with the federal government and us.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Declan Rice was making all these runs too, bursting forward to try to make amends for his mistake for Tottenham's equaliser, so there was all sorts going on.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

They decide that I will have to go to school tomorrow, and that I will have to make amends to my friends then.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.