enlarge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enlarges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enlarged,
past participle, past
-
enlarging
present participle
-
to make larger; increase in extent, bulk, or quantity; add to.
They enlarged the house by adding an east wing.
- Antonyms:
- diminish
-
to increase the capacity or scope of; expand.
We've decided to enlarge the company.
- Antonyms:
- contract
-
to make (a photographic print) larger than the negative by projecting the negative's image through a lens onto photographic printing paper.
verb (used without object)
-
enlarges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enlarged,
past participle, past
-
enlarging
present participle
-
to grow larger; increase; expand.
-
to speak or write at large; expatiate.
to enlarge upon a point.
verb
-
to make or grow larger in size, scope, etc; increase or expand
-
(tr) to make (a photographic print) of a larger size than the negative
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to speak or write (about) in greater detail; expatiate (on)
Usage
What are other ways to say enlarge?
To enlarge something is to make it larger or to add to it. How does enlarge differ from increase and augment? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enlargednessnoun
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reenlargeverb
-
preenlargeverb (used with object)
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enlargeableadjective
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unenlargedadjective
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unenlargingadjective
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enlargedlyadverb
-
enlarginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enlargesimple
-
enlargessimple
-
have enlargedperfect
-
has enlargedperfect
-
am enlargingprogressive
-
are enlargingprogressive
-
is enlargingprogressive
-
have been enlargingperfect progressive
-
has been enlargingperfect progressive
Past
-
enlargedsimple
-
had enlargedperfect
-
was enlargingprogressive
-
were enlargingprogressive
-
had been enlargingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enlarge
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enlargen, from Old French enlargir, enlarger. See en- 1, large
Explanation
When you enlarge something, you make it bigger. If you build a huge addition on the side of your house, you enlarge it. You can enlarge a sand castle by dumping another bucket of sand on it, or enlarge your hairdo by curling and teasing it. When a photographer enlarges a photograph, she blows it up, or prints a much larger copy of it, and you can also enlarge an idea, or someone's understanding of it, by clarifying or explaining it. The Old French root of enlarge is enlargier, "to widen, increase, or make larger."
Vocabulary lists containing enlarge
myPerspectives 7.3
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: en-, em-
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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.
See Examples For:
Their stretched proportions reminded the scientists of Luffy's rubber body, which allows the fictional character to freely extend and enlarge his limbs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Adenomyosis, is a condition often compared to endometriosis and occurs when where endometrial-like tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, causing it to thicken and enlarge.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
He has used the novel tack of publicly proclaiming his lack of independence to enlarge himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Allison Febbo, general manager of Westlands Water District, said the plan to enlarge Shasta Dam “represents an important step toward advancing a long-overdue investment in water supply reliability.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
If you wanted to see with your naked eye a paramecium swimming in a drop of water, you would have to enlarge the drop until it was some forty feet across.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
The perspective suddenly enlarges as William launches an invasion fleet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
In his office, the commanding officer enlarges an image showing a swarm of speedboats carrying out such an attack.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Far from distorting democracy, this diversity of substantial support often enlarges the range of ideas in public debate.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
Expansion microscopy, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, physically enlarges biological samples.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025
The cell enlarges, begins making new DNA at a great rate, and turns into what is termed, appropriately, a blast.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
It’s especially ironic that the Nobel Committee cited Ms. Pillay for having “significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
If an atomic nucleus were enlarged to the size of a football stadium, the experiment's highest resolution would be fine enough to distinguish features only a few yards wide on the field.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
He clutched a photo of his late wife that had been enlarged for the television cameras.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Artwork by his son Naviyd is featured on the walls, while an enlarged drawing of a tattoo that Usher has on his chin has been turned into a decorative ceiling mural.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Nothing that really enlarged my boundaries, y’ know what I mean?”
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
If true, that would mean aging fat tissue could continue growing not just by enlarging existing cells, but by constantly adding new ones.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 2026
Much of the conservation effort is focused on protecting and enlarging the habitats butterflies need to survive, particularly in the face of land-use changes, including the intensification of farming and environmental degradation.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Instead, ports are considering extending the life of old equipment by updating technology systems or enlarging cranes so they can load and unload larger containerships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
In any case, fielding them would mean replacing the existing weapons, not enlarging the arsenal’s size.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2025
His hands were growing, his head was enlarging, and where baby fuzz had once covered a pale new scalp, now long tentacles were emerging.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
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