augment
Americanverb (used with object)
-
augments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
augmented,
past participle, past
-
augmenting
present participle
-
to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase.
His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.
- Synonyms:
- swell
-
Music.
-
to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step.
-
to double the note values of (a theme).
In the fugue's development the subject is augmented.
-
-
Grammar. to add an augment to.
-
Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms).
verb (used without object)
-
augments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
augmented,
past participle, past
-
augmenting
present participle
noun
verb
-
to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc; increase
-
(tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone Compare diminish
-
(tr) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) to prefix a vowel or diphthong to (a verb) to form a past tense
noun
Usage
What does augment mean? To augment something is to add to it in a way that makes it bigger or better. The general sense of augment is used in a variety of contexts where something is literally or figuratively increased in size, number, shape, value, or in some other way. A person might augment their salary with an additional source of income. A material like metal might be augmented to make it stronger. A teacher might augment a course’s textbook with additional learning materials. The noun augmentation refers to the process of augmenting something or the thing that augments. Things that augment or things that are intended to augment can be described as augmentative. A machine or device can be described as augmentable when other parts can be added to it to improve it in some way or give it additional functionality. Augment is also used in much more specific ways in the context of music and grammar, but its general sense is much more commonly used. Example: We recently augmented our nonfiction collection with many new titles by authors from marginalized communities.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
augmentsimple
-
augmentssimple
-
have augmentedperfect
-
has augmentedperfect
-
am augmentingprogressive
-
are augmentingprogressive
-
is augmentingprogressive
-
have been augmentingperfect progressive
-
has been augmentingperfect progressive
Past
-
augmentedsimple
-
had augmentedperfect
-
was augmentingprogressive
-
were augmentingprogressive
-
had been augmentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of augment
First recorded in 1375–1475; late Middle English au(g)menten, from Anglo-French, Middle French au(g)menter, from Late Latin augmentāre “to increase,” derivative of augmentum “an increase,” from aug(ēre) “to increase” (akin to eke 1 ) + -mentum -ment )
Explanation
Do you need to make something bigger, better, or stronger? Then you need to augment it. To augment is to increase the amount or strength of something. Maybe your bike isn't getting around very well on hills: the bike needs to be augmented with a better set of tires. People augment their computers and phones all the time, adding new gadgets and apps. They augment the storage space in their cars by buying roof racks. If the President decides to augment taxes, taxes are going up. When you see the word augment, think "More!"
Vocabulary lists containing augment
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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 Tragedy of Macbeth
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!
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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.
See Examples For:
Long Beach will augment its normal emergency preparedness actions for the storm and continuous impacts from a potentially historic El Niño, city spokesperson Laath Martin wrote in a statement to the Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
"This suggests that repurposing medications that augment the function of dopamine-releasing neurons, including dopamine precursors and inhibitors of dopamine metabolism, could be a promising approach."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
And if you have $40,000, you could still guarantee a portion of it to augment your lifestyle above Social Security.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
When it steps outside its own borders, the country’s idealism can often augment its realism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Kendra pressed her hands over her ears, trying to augment the dampening power of the earplugs.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Despite the market’s concerns about the longevity of the current chip boom, Samsung still forecasts a major supply-demand deficit to persist into 2027, as growth in agentic AI augments the huge buildout of AI infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
The assets complement OCBC’s Indonesia franchise, particularly in wealth management, which is attractive in a low-interest-rate environment as it augments recurring income to cushion earnings as Singapore banks face NIM compression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
And when that movie is up for an Oscar, the prestige factor augments our hope and anticipation.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026
But if AI primarily augments tasks rather than replaces jobs, this approach misses the mark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
“That’s amazing. My mother says they’re superhuman. Their second operation augments all their muscles and rewires their nervous system. And they’re so scary-looking, a lot of people just panic the first time they see one.”
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
The urban aesthetic was augmented with a bluesy, funky score by composer Jim Lang, inspired by Thelonious Monk, Vince Guaraldi and Beck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
On TV, augmented reality was used to display athlete headshots, win probabilities and projected finishing positions for each event.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Its Irish operations also include a virtual and augmented reality business in Cork and a data centre outside Dublin.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
“The same AI-generated or augmented image can be a legitimate creative choice in one context and a trust violation in another.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
I get to wear my own clothes, meaning T-shirt and khakis or jeans, augmented only by the mandatory hairnet and an apron at my own discretion.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Lewenstein believes AI’s true promise lies in augmenting, not automating, human capabilities.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
Robotaxi companies are augmenting the real-world videos with training in simulated scenarios that help robotaxis deal with once-in-a-blue-moon cases, said Wang, the Pony AI executive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025
These questions point to an exciting potential for developing more adaptive training frameworks that not only focus on teaching AI but also on augmenting human capabilities to form future human-AI teams.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2024
“We view AI as a great tool for augmenting, enhancing and supplementing our current operations,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2024
Diminishing or augmenting chords does strange things to the way they behave.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
