amplify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
amplifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amplified,
past participle, past
-
amplifying
present participle
-
to make larger, greater, or stronger; enlarge; extend.
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to expand in stating or describing, as by details or illustrations; clarify by expanding.
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Electricity. to increase the amplitude of; cause amplification in.
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Archaic. to exaggerate.
verb (used without object)
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amplifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amplified,
past participle, past
-
amplifying
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to increase in size, extent, effect, etc, as by the addition of extra material; augment; enlarge; expand
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electronics to produce amplification of (electrical signals); increase the amplitude of (signals)
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(tr) to exaggerate
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(intr) to expand or enlarge a speech, narrative, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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amplifysimple
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amplifiessimple
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have amplifiedperfect
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has amplifiedperfect
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am amplifyingprogressive
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are amplifyingprogressive
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is amplifyingprogressive
-
have been amplifyingperfect progressive
-
has been amplifyingperfect progressive
Past
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amplifiedsimple
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had amplifiedperfect
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was amplifyingprogressive
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were amplifyingprogressive
-
had been amplifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of amplify
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English amplifyen, from Middle French amplifier, from Latin amplificāre “to increase, augment”; equivalent to ample + -ify
Explanation
The verb amplify means to crank up the volume. Speakers amplify, or raise, the volume of the noise coming through a microphone so that everyone at the rock show can hear. Amplify comes from the Old French word amplifier meaning "to enlarge or expand." It refers to making a sound “expand,” but it can also crank up something like a disagreement — if you spread rumors, you might amplify an argument. It can “enlarge” an idea — if you don't realize how bad your health is, your doctor might amplify your test results by explaining them to you in simple, and possibly frightening terms.
Vocabulary lists containing amplify
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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:
Kudler says the isolation of being aboard a ship, with moments of prolonged boredom followed by "extreme alertness", can amplify mental-health struggles.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
In China, a huge bulge of working-age people helped amplify sweeping economic reforms that turbocharged its economy starting in the 1980s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
After collecting the cells, the team removes the material from the brushes and uses forensic-level, next-generation sequencing technologies to isolate and amplify genetic sequences.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
“State tax credits have been the most instrumental tool to keep production local, and we want to amplify their success to make clear to the industry: LA County wants you here,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ebola could shut down a hospital; it could amplify itself in a hospital.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
“Workers see the headlines, hear about their friends. Crucially they hear about workers having incredibly hard times getting back into jobs, which amplifies the risk of being laid off,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Rumbler interacts with a standard police siren, which generates around 110 to 120 decibels, and amplifies that sound through its speakers in eight-second intervals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
“This conference room is now fair game for solo work and small group calls” costs nothing to say and immediately amplifies agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Stirred into a mushroom stroganoff, it amplifies the fungi’s naturally meaty qualities.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
Bobby Ryan amplifies her point: “We’re not typical theater kids, and we don’t want to be typical theater kids.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass amplified the results last week of a favorable political poll that turned out to be fake, she was inadvertently following in the footsteps of conservative Detroit singer Kid Rock.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Loud amplified music late into the evening will disrupt sleep for those who have no choice but to remain at home," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lindelof’s involvement, along with that of “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” series author Tom King, signals a seriousness of intent amplified by the placing the series’ showrunner stewardship under “True Detective” and “Ozark” producer Chris Mundy.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nintendo began selling the Switch 2 console in June last year, aiming to build on the success of the console’s predecessor, whose popularity was amplified by a pandemic-driven videogame boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
And how at night the bush crickets had sounded like creaking stars and amplified the fear and gloom that hung over the Ayemenem House.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
The tabloid Daily Mail's Sarah Vine blamed social media for amplifying the story.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Kairi’s scenes are often accompanied by the powerful score from composer Yoko Shimomura, amplifying the emotion that has driven the games’ fanbase for more than two decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
“This is especially the case given the U.S. holiday on Friday, when liquidity conditions will be a lot thinner, amplifying the impact of any intervention.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Without soil moisture to evaporate, solar energy goes entirely into baking the ground, thereby amplifying temperatures.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Adjoining the den was a furnace room, which contained a tool-littered table piled with some of his other works-in- progress—an amplifying unit, an elderly wind-up Victrola that he was restoring to service.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
