amends
Americannoun
-
reparation or compensation for a loss, damage, or injury of any kind; recompense.
- Synonyms:
- restitution, redress
-
Obsolete. improvement; recovery, as of health.
idioms
noun
Etymology
Origin of amends
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English amendes, from Middle French, plural of amende “reparation,” noun derivative of amender “to repair, correct errors in, improve the condition of”; see amend
Explanation
So you blew the surprise party by mentioning it in passing to the birthday girl. Now, you have to do something to make amends, or reparations, to the boyfriend who worked all day to set up the party. When you make amends, you mend something you have damaged, like a deal, or relationship. Maybe, your cupcake shop was panned by a food critic in the paper, but he never went to your store, he went to that awful cupcake shop across the street. The critic should make amends by printing a retraction.
Vocabulary lists containing amends
The Kite Runner
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The One and Only Ivan
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A Christmas Carol
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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.
This experience taught me the importance of keeping calm in tense situations, choosing restraint over reaction, and allowing space for others to reflect and make amends.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Leinster responded well as van der Flier made amends for his failure to ground the ball 15 minutes earlier as he scored following a tap and go from Sheehan.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Now she’s trying to make amends, including paying more than $6.6 million in restitution and forfeiture.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
On Sunday, Rheinmetall tagged Kamyshin in a post on its own X account in which it sought to make amends.
From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026
I’ll be back home in a couple of days, and we can make amends then.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
