- present tense form of amend (3rd person singular).
amends
Americannoun
-
reparation or compensation for a loss, damage, or injury of any kind; recompense.
- Synonyms:
- restitution, redress
-
Obsolete. improvement; recovery, as of health.
idioms
noun
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”; see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing amends
The Kite Runner
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The One and Only Ivan
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A Christmas Carol
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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.
But one aspect of a fair justice system is for wrongdoers to face proportionate consequences—not to be shunned forever, but to be expected to own up, make amends, and, sometimes, pay a penalty.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
He gets a lot of those letters and visits, that are like people making amends.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
The disclosure prompted an apology from the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who said he was "deeply sorry for the links" and promised to make amends through a £100m "social impact" fund.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
She made amends by hitting the first winner of her comeback with another volley to the delight of the crowd.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Once I’d found the manuscript, I realized I not only had the perfect prize in hand, but I could make amends to the ghost of Poe at the same time.”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
