augment
Americanverb (used with object)
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augments,
present (3rd person singular)
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augmented,
past participle, past
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augmenting
present participle
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to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase.
His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.
- Synonyms:
- swell
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Music.
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to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step.
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to double the note values of (a theme).
In the fugue's development the subject is augmented.
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Grammar. to add an augment to.
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Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms).
verb (used without object)
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augments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
augmented,
past participle, past
-
augmenting
present participle
noun
verb
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to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc; increase
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(tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone Compare diminish
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(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
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augmentsimple
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augmentssimple
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have augmentedperfect
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has augmentedperfect
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am augmentingprogressive
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are augmentingprogressive
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is augmentingprogressive
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have been augmentingperfect progressive
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has been augmentingperfect progressive
Past
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augmentedsimple
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had augmentedperfect
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was augmentingprogressive
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were augmentingprogressive
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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"
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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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:
Teleperformance, the world's largest call centre operator and one of the Philippines' biggest private employers, has said AI offers an opportunity to augment rather than replace its workforce.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
"This study follows our recent development of the drug candidate GHP-88310. It demonstrates that the drug is suitable to augment traditional ring vaccination against measles."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
None of them augment it with their own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Two other books augment Ms. Crowther’s efforts to demythologize Monroe’s character and career, though one wouldn’t guess as much from their jacket art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
As one of the lab’s senior scientists, McMillan was at the hub of Ernest’s campaign to augment the discovery of fission by bombarding uranium and logging the reactions.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Curated by Hever’s Alison Palmer, Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey, this extraordinary exhibition augments Hever’s “Rose Portrait” of Anne with personal objects and 37 other depictions, including 14 oil portraits on loan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
In other words, will AI be a force that replaces labor, or augments it?
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
Her new position as chargé d’affaires augments a career that includes senior roles in hostage recovery for the FBI and as ambassador to Nicaragua and Honduras during periods characterized by social and political volatility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 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
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
Some jobs will be automated, others will be "augmented".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Presumably that involves true augmented reality, which anchors simulated objects in our 3-D space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Agility is led by Peggy Johnson, a former Microsoft executive who was previously CEO of augmented reality-tech company MagicLeap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
The little I made was augmented by help from Aunt Bushy and Uncle Piet.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Lewenstein believes AI’s true promise lies in augmenting, not automating, human capabilities.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
On many of these songs, Ms. Case places her poetic narratives in a chamber-pop setting, with tasteful orchestrations augmenting guitar, piano, bass and drums.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2025
“That is our job to ensure that we’re providing that 911 service ongoing, on top of pre-deploying, augmenting and still responding to the Palisades fire.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 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
Diminishing and augmenting chords Wagner may have made his own, but they are all over Liszt’s daring, dark harmony.
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.
