augment
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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:
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department was working Tuesday to get approval from the state to augment staffing and pre-deploy resources, said Mike Gray, a public information officer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Spending and savings data, as well, will augment the PCE inflation reading, with markets focused on solid data supporting the broader economic backdrop at the end of last month.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
“These investments offer somewhat predictable and consistent returns which are important to augment limited retirement income. Inflation is still the enemy, and its impact should be carefully weighed each time new investments are contemplated.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
If Washington imposed a 10% transaction fee on those bets, we would have about $40 billion to augment national investments in basic research, defense, life science and energy technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
To augment the small income from the service station, C.P. got a job as an unskilled maintenance worker at Duke University.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
In other words, will AI be a force that replaces labor, or augments it?
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
And when that movie is up for an Oscar, the prestige factor augments our hope and anticipation.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 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
The mobile app Pokémon Go, which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary, uses GPS and augmented reality to let players find and catch virtual monsters in real-world locations.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Where I stay careful is in not letting the technology become the subject. The augmented reality by Snap’s AR Studio adds to the project, doesn’t take you away from it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Not too long ago, augmented reality was the hot topic in tech circles, and the metaverse was the next big thing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Meta has shifted resources away from its augmented reality initiative known as the Metaverse and toward AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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
So the use cases that I’m seeing now are much more about leaning in, creating opportunities, reducing friction, augmenting human labor and making people more and more effective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
Blessedly, Season 3 makes room for glimpses into the locals’ lives beyond the hotel, augmenting the personal stakes for workers beyond the usual administrative staff whose prickliness co-stars in previous seasons.
From Salon ● Feb. 16, 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
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.
