improve

verb

im·​prove im-ˈprüv 

improved; improving

transitive verb

1

a

: to enhance in value or quality : make better

b

: to increase the value of (land or property) by making it more useful for humans (as by cultivation or the erection of buildings)

c

: to grade and drain (a road) and apply surfacing material other than pavement

2

: to use to good purpose

3

archaic : employ, use

intransitive verb

1

: to advance or make progress in what is desirable

2

: to make useful additions or amendments

improvability

(ˌ)im-ˌprü-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

improvable

(ˌ)im-ˈprü-və-bəl 

adjective

improver noun

Synonyms

• ameliorate
• amend
• better
• enhance
• enrich
• help
• meliorate
• perfect
• refine
• upgrade

Choose the Right Synonym for improve

improve, better, help, ameliorate mean to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard.

improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care

immigrants hoping to better their lot

help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

Examples of improve in a Sentence

This operation will greatly improve her chances of survival.

The advertising campaign has improved sales.

Maybe we'll buy a house when our financial situation improves.

Her writing has improved since the beginning of the school year.

The company has been having steadily improving sales.

Recent Examples on the Web

Removing medical debt from credit reports On Jan. 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule that will remove around $49 billion in medical bills from consumer credit reports, improving the credit score of more than 15 million Americans. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 14 Jan. 2025

Collaborative solutions enable organizations to enhance resilience, improve efficiency and accelerate innovation in the face of uncertainty. —Appio Fragoletti, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

The new deal comes with improve functionality for Stripe merchants, including the ability to A/B test Klarna and measure real-time conversion rates. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025

The new code of conduct, announced to stores Monday, is part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to lure back customers, boost sagging sales and improve worker relations. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English improuen, emprouen, from Anglo-French emprouer to make profit from, from French en- + pru, prou advantage, from Late Latin prode — more at proud

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing improve

• improve on/upon

Kids Definition

improve

verb

im·​prove im-ˈprüv 

improved; improving

1

: to make or become better

genetics helps us improve plants

when economic conditions improve

2

: to increase the value of (land or property) by making improvements

3

: to make good use of

improved their time by studying German

4

: to make useful additions or changes

improvable

-ˈprü-və-bəl 

adjective

improver noun