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
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has been amplifyingperfect progressive
Past
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amplifiedsimple
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had amplifiedperfect
-
was amplifyingprogressive
-
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:
In China, a huge bulge of working-age people helped amplify sweeping economic reforms that turbocharged its economy starting in the 1980s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
And though “Tony” doesn’t entirely lack that heady romanticization, its choice to amplify its introductory quote — making Bourdain an even more insufferable lout for dramatic effect — feels antithetical to Bourdain’s raw candor.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 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
“State tax credits have been the most instrumental tool to keep production local, and we want to amplify their success to make clear to the industry: LA County wants you here,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
She asks again, her hands cupped around her mouth to amplify her voice.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
“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
The careers most directly helped by AI are those where the technology amplifies expensive expertise, e.g., diagnostic medicine, engineering, scientific research.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Stirred into a mushroom stroganoff, it amplifies the fungi’s naturally meaty qualities.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
That nitric oxide can then promote S-nitrosylation of STING, which drives even more inflammation and further amplifies the process.
From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026
Each account amplifies the legend: the creature gets more impressive, more fantastic—and harder to believe.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
He articulated very clearly his confidence in the AI boom and amplified returns by using leverage.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 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
Other black holes may have formed soon after the bounce because density fluctuations were amplified.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
The buzz of talk was punctuated now and then by a crackling, amplified "testing" spoken too close to the microphone.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Regulators have blamed leveraged products for amplifying volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some on Wall Street are growing increasingly concerned that leveraged ETFs are becoming more of a force in markets — potentially amplifying volatility in key corners of the stock market, like trendy semiconductor names.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
"Each of these areas of tension is likely to be manageable, but taken together, they risk amplifying one another and threatening financial stability," Maechler warned.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
The company found them at Princeton University, where it set about amplifying their work by donating $15 million to start the Carbon Mitigation Initiative.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 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.
