improve
Americanverb (used with object)
-
improves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
improved,
past participle, past
-
improving
present participle
-
to bring into a more desirable or excellent condition.
He took vitamins to improve his health.
- Antonyms:
- worsen
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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)
-
improves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
improved,
past participle, past
-
improving
present participle
-
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
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to make or become better in quality; ameliorate
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(tr) to make (buildings, land, etc) more valuable by additions or betterment
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(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
Derived Forms
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improvabilitynoun
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improvablenessnoun
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improvernoun
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preimproveverb (used with object)
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improvableadjective
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quasi-improvedadjective
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superimprovedadjective
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well-improvedadjective
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improvablyadverb
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improvinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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improvesimple
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improvessimple
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have improvedperfect
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has improvedperfect
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am improvingprogressive
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are improvingprogressive
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is improvingprogressive
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have been improvingperfect progressive
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has been improvingperfect progressive
Past
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improvedsimple
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had improvedperfect
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was improvingprogressive
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were improvingprogressive
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had been improvingperfect progressive
Future
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 ( see 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 ( cf. proud); the sound v was made by association with prove, approve
Explanation
When you improve something, you make it better. For example, you can improve your harmonica playing with practice. Be happy when you see this word, because something is getting better — improving. Getting a tutor will usually improve your grades. Sleeping well improves your health and alertness. A haircut could improve your looks. Painters have to decide whether a painting is finished or if it can still be improved. Voters decide which candidate will improve the nation. Sometimes a sick patient will mysteriously improve. The opposite of improve is worsen or deteriorate.
Vocabulary lists containing improve
"Hitching a Ride"
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"Brothers in Hope"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Excerpt from "Do Something!"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Beane, who is on academic leave, is building a tool called SkillBench to help organizations improve how work gets done with AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Vroman’s was founded in 1894 by Adam Clark Vroman, an ex-railroad worker from Illinois who moved to California hoping the sunny weather would improve his wife’s health.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
But taking steps to improve your acuity and overall wellness will help you make wiser, more informed decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Robertson said visitors had loved seeing the rescued turtles improve and that the two animals had come a long way.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
There would be more milk for everybody, and the new cattle would improve our breeding stock.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
Some of the latest aircraft feature cockpit windows that are also curved, to make the plane more streamlined, which improves fuel efficiency.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Researchers are now investigating whether SET or other proteins that suppress PP2A can be targeted safely and whether doing so improves the effectiveness of standard glioblastoma therapies.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
And his addition improves lineup flexibility: when he plays second base, that could free up Tommy Edman to move to the outfield.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Using AI to automate individual tasks improves productivity, but these gains are easy for competitors to replicate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
“If your memory improves, I will expect—” Suddenly the Titan lord winced.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
Their performance has improved significantly in recent years.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
With a focus on four cornerstone exercises, Florida’s roster improved its previous “max” lifts by a combined 14,443 pounds—enough muscle to pick up an African elephant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Best practices around battery storage, and the technology of batteries themselves, have improved since the Moss Landing storage facility began construction in 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Nvidia’s sales are still growing rapidly, and the company has improved its profitability, with revenue in the latest quarter more than doubling from a year ago.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Proud owners of these new, improved stills endowed them with special names.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Kennedy participated in a roundtable discussion about raising awareness for fungal and mold disease and improving access to care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
But Bellamy feels his squad - missing Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Dylan Lawlor, Joe Rodon and Nathan Broadhead through injury - are capable of improving.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
The company has also been improving its virtual reality headsets and smart glasses, partnering with celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley to market them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
As for ON Semiconductor, he noted that the company is capitalizing on improving demand for the chips specific to the industrial and automotive sectors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
When he wasn’t busy trying to recruit new agents or receiving coded radio messages from Moscow, Abel worked on improving as a painter.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
