improve
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to bring into a more desirable or excellent condition.
He took vitamins to improve his health.
- Antonyms:
- worsen
-
to make (land) more useful, profitable, or valuable by enclosure, cultivation, etc.
-
to increase the value of (real property) by betterments, as the construction of buildings and sewers.
-
to make good use of; turn to account.
He improved the stopover by seeing a client with offices there.
verb (used without object)
-
to increase in value, excellence, etc.; become better.
The military situation is improving.
- Antonyms:
- worsen
-
to make improvements, as by revision, addition, or change.
None of the younger violinists have been able to improve on his interpretation of that work.
verb
-
to make or become better in quality; ameliorate
-
(tr) to make (buildings, land, etc) more valuable by additions or betterment
-
(intr; usually foll by on or upon) to achieve a better standard or quality in comparison (with)
to improve on last year's crop
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say improve?
To improve something is to bring it into a more desirable or excellent condition. How is improve different from the verbs ameliorate and better? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- improvability noun
- improvable adjective
- improvableness noun
- improvably adverb
- improver noun
- improvingly adverb
- preimprove verb (used with object)
- quasi-improved adjective
- superimproved adjective
- well-improved adjective
Etymology
Origin of improve
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English improuen, emprouen from Anglo-French emprouer “to turn (something) into profit,” derivative of phrase en prou “into profit,” equivalent to en ( en- 1 ) + prou, Old French prou, preu from Late Latin prōde (est), by reanalysis of Latin prōdest “(it) is beneficial, of use,” with prōde taken as a neuter noun ( proud ); the sound v was made by association with prove, approve
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.
“I’m trying to improve on my defense staying low, in my stance and staying in front of my man.”
From Los Angeles Times
A hospital in East Ayrshire has been ordered to improve the way it handles patient safety incidents in its maternity unit, almost 10 years after it was the centre of an investigation into baby deaths.
From BBC
One of the other artists contemplated how she would address Behzad today: "I wish he could have lived now -- I would ask him to improve the women's life in Afghanistan because it is really difficult."
From Barron's
Her plight highlights the challenges South Africa faces in improving living conditions nearly 32 years after the end of white-minority rule.
From BBC
But Charlotte Ashton, journalist and co-founder of Generation Focus, says she thinks a statutory ban is needed, to improve consistency between schools.
From BBC
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.
