Synonym Chooser

How is the word ameliorate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ameliorate are better, help, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

When is help a more appropriate choice than ameliorate?

The meanings of help and ameliorate largely overlap; however, help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

How are the words improve and better related as synonyms of ameliorate?

Both 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ameliorate Recommended As Democrats look for a fighter, Bernie Sanders is striking a chord – again How can a crisis be avoided? But what the historical episodes illustrate is that a normal functioning of the constitutional separation of powers is central to avoiding, or ameliorating, a constitutional crisis. Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2025 Iraqi government officials do not seek to ameliorate the ethnic group's struggles; in fact, influential party officials only aggravate the situation Assyrians face. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025 More than 95 percent of industrially useful rare-earth metals are produced by China, creating supply-chain and national-security vulnerabilities that the U.S. and other countries have been attempting to ameliorate for more than a decade. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2025 Higher tariffs — including ones consistent with Trump’s announced plans — might ameliorate this problem by raising prices and discouraging consumption. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ameliorate

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Cite this Entry

“Ameliorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ameliorate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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