enhance
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enhances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enhanced,
past participle, past
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enhancing
present participle
verb
Usage
What does enhance mean? To enhance is to raise to a higher degree, such as to magnify or intensify something. To enhance a photo, for example, is to improve the colors, lighting, or other characteristics in order to improve the photo. Generally speaking, enhancing somehow makes something better. Something that is enhanced has its intensity, value, or size increased. To enhance is also to increase the value or price of something. A tie might not be very valued just for being a tie, for example. But if that tie was worn by someone famous, the tie’s value is enhanced because that celebrity wore it. Example: Salt is commonly added to dishes to enhance their flavor.
Synonym Usage
See elevate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
enhancesimple
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enhancessimple
-
have enhancedperfect
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has enhancedperfect
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am enhancingprogressive
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are enhancingprogressive
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is enhancingprogressive
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have been enhancingperfect progressive
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has been enhancingperfect progressive
Past
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enhancedsimple
-
had enhancedperfect
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was enhancingprogressive
-
were enhancingprogressive
-
had been enhancingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enhance
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English enhauncen, from Anglo-French enhauncer, apparently for Old French enhaucer, equivalent to en- en- 1 + haucer “to raise” ( French hausser ) from the unattested Vulgar Latin altiāre (derivative of Latin altus “high,” with h-, from Germanic; see haughty), though -n- is unexplained
Explanation
Many people use the expression "enhance your chance" to point out ways to increase your chances of winning or earning a contest or prize. When you enhance something, you heighten it or make it better. "Hance" is not a word, but the addition of "en-" does something to enhance it and improve its sound. You can enhance the size of something, too, by altering it or raising it, which is what the word original meant (the "hance" part came via French from Latin altus, meaning "high"). When you enhance something you take it to a higher level, like adding salt to French fries to enhance flavor or adding words to enhance your vocabulary.
Vocabulary lists containing enhance
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 10
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Tears of a Tiger
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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:
For decades Washington has used trade agreements to help American farmers and manufacturers gain access to foreign markets, to develop international supply chains that boost competitiveness, and to enhance consumer choice and affordability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Researchers hope to determine whether these strategies can further enhance axon regeneration and improve recovery following spinal cord injury, stroke, or other neurological diseases.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
He's asked for written assurances that the commission's decision-making processes are "fair and robust", that they act "independently and impartially" and that they have a plan to "enhance public confidence".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
As dementia diagnoses rise, patients and caregivers are choosing to continue traveling to enhance their quality of life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Leaders may enhance their informal status by renouncing formal symbols.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Kyle Shanahan must believe the olfactory exhilaration of smelling salts enhances his coaching ability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“This facility expands our production capacity, strengthens our supply chain, and enhances our ability to serve growing demand in the United States and around the world,” said Stacey Kennedy, chief executive of Philip Morris U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“We believe the transaction materially enhances Rocket Lab’s strategic positioning by expanding its presence beyond launch into satellite connectivity,” Liwag said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Our aim is to explain all elements of royal finances in a way that further enhances clarity and accessibility," said a Palace spokesman.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Indeed, one of the most disarming features of the Burr version—a feature that enhances its overall credibility—is that it made Burr’s shot a more deliberate and premeditated act.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
By injecting a solution into banded iron formations, the researchers were able to increase hydrogen generation, raising the possibility that naturally produced hydrogen could one day be deliberately enhanced underground.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
But the two countries, which in June signed an enhanced cooperation agreement regarding military mobility, logistics, Baltic Sea security, and cybersecurity, emphasise such cooperation is necessary to ensure peace.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
The notion that this enhanced surveillance increases safety doesn’t actually hold up, though.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
Vita Tzykun’s design, enhanced by Thomas C. Hase’s moody lighting and Devario D. Simmons’s period costumes, has six sets of file cabinets that reverse to form a kitchen or a bedroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Another study from the University of California at San Diego found that creativity is enhanced when people let their minds wander, or when they do the most menial of tasks.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
"For Wada to put anything on the list, it's got to hit two out of three criteria: dangerous to health, performance enhancing, and against the spirit of sport," Close explains.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mr. Skenes learned to generate more force with his pitches by subtly adjusting his front-side landing mechanics, enhancing both his velocity and command.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"By enhancing REM, we may help people better cope with stress and improve their overall well-being."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Investing in better-quality doors indoors and outdoors — even the garage door — is also helpful in enhancing the home’s appeal all around, experts said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
"Yeah, they called and offered to help out. Same software they use for enhancing spy satellite imagery."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
