amplify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
amplifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amplified,
past participle, past
-
amplifying
present participle
-
to make larger, greater, or stronger; enlarge; extend.
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to expand in stating or describing, as by details or illustrations; clarify by expanding.
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Electricity. to increase the amplitude of; cause amplification in.
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Archaic. to exaggerate.
verb (used without object)
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amplifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amplified,
past participle, past
-
amplifying
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to increase in size, extent, effect, etc, as by the addition of extra material; augment; enlarge; expand
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electronics to produce amplification of (electrical signals); increase the amplitude of (signals)
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(tr) to exaggerate
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(intr) to expand or enlarge a speech, narrative, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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amplifysimple
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amplifiessimple
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have amplifiedperfect
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has amplifiedperfect
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am amplifyingprogressive
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are amplifyingprogressive
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is amplifyingprogressive
-
have been amplifyingperfect progressive
-
has been amplifyingperfect progressive
Past
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amplifiedsimple
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had amplifiedperfect
-
was amplifyingprogressive
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were amplifyingprogressive
-
had been amplifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of amplify
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English amplifyen, from Middle French amplifier, from Latin amplificāre “to increase, augment”; equivalent to ample + -ify
Explanation
The verb amplify means to crank up the volume. Speakers amplify, or raise, the volume of the noise coming through a microphone so that everyone at the rock show can hear. Amplify comes from the Old French word amplifier meaning "to enlarge or expand." It refers to making a sound “expand,” but it can also crank up something like a disagreement — if you spread rumors, you might amplify an argument. It can “enlarge” an idea — if you don't realize how bad your health is, your doctor might amplify your test results by explaining them to you in simple, and possibly frightening terms.
Vocabulary lists containing amplify
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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:
Kudler says the isolation of being aboard a ship, with moments of prolonged boredom followed by "extreme alertness", can amplify mental-health struggles.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Increased monitoring and more advanced disease tracking can also amplify the sense that something new is afoot, even if it was always there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
After collecting the cells, the team removes the material from the brushes and uses forensic-level, next-generation sequencing technologies to isolate and amplify genetic sequences.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Sophisticated hedge funds used them as funding shorts to amplify their bets on highflying semiconductor names, power stocks and shares of other companies cashing in on the massive AI buildout, McElligott said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
But if the agent touched living cells, Nancy’s cells, it would come alive and begin to amplify itself.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
“Workers see the headlines, hear about their friends. Crucially they hear about workers having incredibly hard times getting back into jobs, which amplifies the risk of being laid off,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Many buildings were built on loose, soft sediment that amplifies shaking during tremors, Linayo said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Stirred into a mushroom stroganoff, it amplifies the fungi’s naturally meaty qualities.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
The organization also says that it acts as “the official public-private partnership that connects, aligns, and amplifies national and local efforts to deliver the defining presidential moments of this anniversary year.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Bobby Ryan amplifies her point: “We’re not typical theater kids, and we don’t want to be typical theater kids.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass amplified the results last week of a favorable political poll that turned out to be fake, she was inadvertently following in the footsteps of conservative Detroit singer Kid Rock.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Loud amplified music late into the evening will disrupt sleep for those who have no choice but to remain at home," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lindelof’s involvement, along with that of “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” series author Tom King, signals a seriousness of intent amplified by the placing the series’ showrunner stewardship under “True Detective” and “Ozark” producer Chris Mundy.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Juan Carlos Polanco, a political strategist and professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, said that while every mayor has dealt with highs and lows in office, they are amplified for Mamdani.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
In the distance ahead of them, Annabeth began to hear a throbbing sound, like her own heartbeat echoing back, amplified so powerfully, the floor vibrated underfoot.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
The tabloid Daily Mail's Sarah Vine blamed social media for amplifying the story.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Pollsters typically weigh the responses they receive — sometimes amplifying the voices of respondents from a particular ethnic group, for example — to ensure that the results are representative of the population they are surveying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Regulators have blamed leveraged products for amplifying volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“This is especially the case given the U.S. holiday on Friday, when liquidity conditions will be a lot thinner, amplifying the impact of any intervention.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
The lake was beautiful and always changing in hue and texture, but it was also, Olmsted argued, a novelty capable of amplifying the drawing power of the exposition.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
