improve en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ɪmˈpɹuːv/
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”).
Meanings
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(transitive) To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).
Painting the woodwork will improve this house.
Buying more servers would improve performance.
Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.
2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
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(intransitive) To become better.
The error messages have improved since the last version, when they were incomprehensible.
I have improved since taking the tablets.
“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 41:
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(dated) To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account.
How doth the little busy bee / Improve each shining hour.
1715, Isaac Watts, Against Idleness and Mischief:We shall especially honour God, by discharging faithfully those offices which God hath entrusted us with: by improving diligently those talents which God hath committed to us
a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number)”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:[A] hint that I do not remember to have seen opened and improved […]
1711 July 17 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, July 7, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 111; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 96:[T]he court has alſo an opportunity, which it ſeldom fails to improve, […]
1768, William Blackstone, “Of Judgment, and It’s Incidents”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 392:March 7, 1778, George Washington, letter True policy, as well as good faith, in my opinion, binds us to improve the occasion.
to improve one's time; to improve his means
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| improved | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| improved | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| improving | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| improves | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| emprove | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
pejorate · deteriorate (antonym(s) of) · make matters worse · deteriorate (antonym(s) of) · aggravate · worsen
Deriveds
self-improve · improvable · improve on · improvement · disimprove · misimprove · on the improve · improver · improve the occasion · improve upon · improvability · improving · improving agent · reimprove · improving lease
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
spice up · tart up · sweeten · zhoosh · spice · prettify · spark up · sex up · sprucen up · titivate · spiff up · spruce up · bling out
Relateds
Synonyms
aprimorate (non-native speakers’ English (chiefly Portuguese)) · refine · better · ameliorate (to make something better) · meliorate · batten · get better · improve · hone · amend · look up · enhance
Translations (211)
mi whakawhanake (to make something better) · ru улу́чшиться (to become better) · ro îmbunătăți (to make something better) · hu rendbe jön (to become better) · hu talpra áll (to become better) · rm meglierar (to make something better) · nb bedre (to make something better) · ru нала́дить (to make something better) · pt melhorar (to make something better) · pl poprawić się (to become better) · ga leasaigh (to make something better) · he שיפר \ שִׁפֵּר (to make something better) · fr s'améliorer (to become better) · ast ameyorar (to make something better) · fy betarje (to make something better) · hy լավանալ (to become better) · cs zlepšit se (to become better) · pon kamwahu (to become better) · sv förbättras (to become better) · bg подобря́вам (to make something better) · uk полі́пшуватися (to become better) · kw gwellhe (to make something better) · gl mellorar (to make something better) · hu meggyógyul (to become better) · ab а́иӷьтәра (to make something better) · es mejorar (to make something better) · fi parantaa (to make something better) · io bonigar (to make something better) · be пале́пшыць (to make something better) · uk полі́пшитися (to become better) · ru нала́живаться (to become better) · ast meyorar (to become better) · sh побољша́вати (to make something better) · ja 改善する (to make something better) · fa بهبود دادن (to make something better) · oc amelhorar (to make something better) · az yaxşilaşdirmaq (to make something better) · ru улучша́ть (to make something better) · om wayyeessuu (to make something better) · sk vylepšovať (to make something better) · nn betra (to make something better) · tr iyileştirmek (to become better) · ang æþelian (to make something better) · vi cải thiện (to become better) · nl beter maken (to make something better) · he הִשְׁתַּפֵּר (to become better) · pl poprawić (to make something better) · ca millorar (to become better) · izh parentaa (to make something better) · yi פֿאַרבעסערן (to make something better) · la meliorem facio (to make something better) · sk zlepšiť sa (to become better) · vo gudükumön (to make something better) · ru поправля́ться (to become better) · cs vylepšovat se (to become better) · sh побољша́вати се (to become better) · fo betra (to make something better) · eo plibonigi (to make something better) · pl polepszać (to make something better) · hi सुधरना (to make something better) · be паляпша́цца (to become better) · av лъикӏлъизабизе (to make something better) · pl polepszyć (to make something better) · ja 改良する (to make something better) · de verbessern (to make something better) · az mükəmməlləşdirmək (to make something better) · bg усъвърше́нствам (to make something better) · it perfezionare (to make something better) · az mükəmməlləşmək (to become better) · ast ameyorar (to become better) · vi cải tiến (to make something better) · tl ayusin (to make something better) · tl pagandahin (to make something better) · az təkmilləşmək (to become better) · ga cuir feabhas ar (to make something better) · sh побо̀љшати (to make something better) · hu tökéletesít (to make something better) · uk полі́пшити (to make something better) · ru поправля́ть (to make something better) · ast meyorar (to make something better) · el βελτιώνω (to make something better) · da forbedre (to make something better) · cs vylepšit se (to become better) · sl izboljševati se (to become better) · ar حَسَّنَ (to make something better) · izh pareta (to become better) · ga téigh i bhfeabhas (to become better) · es mejorar (to become better) · uk покра́щитися (to become better) · pt melhorar (to become better) · qu allinyay (to become better) · sk vylepšiť sa (to become better) · fr amender (to make something better) · pl poprawiać (to make something better) · pl poprawiać się (to become better) · izh mukahua (to become better) · ro a se îmbunătăți (to become better) · nrf amender (to make something better) · ar تَحَسَّنَ (to become better) · om fooyyessuu (to become better) · ca millorar (to make something better) · fi parantua (to become better) · cy gwella (to become better) · ru улучша́ться (to become better) · sv förbättra (to make something better) · ko 개선하다 (to make something better) · sh pobòljšati (to make something better) · hy զարգացնել (to make something better) · es embonar (to make something better) · bg подобря́ се (to become better) · sl izboljšati (to make something better) · de sich verbessern (to become better) · it migliorare (to become better) · af verbeter (to make something better) · uk покра́щувати (to make something better) · bg подобря́вам се (to become better) · sl izboljšati se (to become better) · hy լավացնել (to make something better) · sk zlepšovať sa (to become better) · cs zlepšovat se (to become better) · sk zlepšovať (to make something better) · hu javul (to become better) · hy կատարելագործել (to make something better) · is betra (to make something better) · sh побо̀љшати се (to become better) · nb forbedre (to make something better) · ko 개선되다 (to become better) · uk полі́пшувати (to make something better) · el βελτιώνομαι (to become better) · ru нала́живать (to make something better) · nb forbedre seg (to become better) · hy բարելավել (to make something better) · cs zlepšit (to make something better) · th ดีขึ้น (to become better) · sk vylepšiť (to make something better) · br gwellaat (to make something better) · az yaxşılaşmaq (to become better) · cs vylepšit (to make something better) · sh poboljšávati (to make something better) · ru улу́чшить (to make something better) · tr düzeltmek (to make something better) · nl verbeteren (to make something better) · cmn 向上 (to become better) · hu javít (to make something better) · os фӕхуыздӕр кӕнын (to make something better) · mk се подобри (to become better) · mk подобрува (to make something better) · hu megjavul (to become better) · sh poboljšávati se (to become better) · be паляпша́ць (to make something better) · da forbedre sig (to become better) · sk vylepšovať sa (to become better) · bg подобря́ (to make something better) · mk се подобрува (to become better) · ru соверше́нствовать (to make something better) · pl ulepszać (to make something better) · mi whakapai (to make something better) · cy gwella (to make something better) · ja 良くなる (to become better) · ru попра́виться (to become better) · it riprendersi (to become better) · zdj urekeɓesha (to make something better) · mk подобри (to make something better) · cs vylepšovat (to make something better) · cmn 提高 (to become better) · it stare meglio (to become better) · fr améliorer (to make something better) · ru попра́вить (to make something better) · cmn 提高 (to make something better) · sl izboljševati (to make something better) · ia meliorar (to make something better) · hu gyógyul (to become better) · nl beteren (to make something better) · cs zlepšovat (to make something better) · hy զարգանալ (to become better) · vo gudikumön (to become better) · sk zlepšiť (to make something better) · nl beteren (to become better) · ka აუმჯობესებს (to make something better) · vi cải thiện (to make something better) · be пале́пшыцца (to become better) · pl ulepszyć (to make something better) · non betra (to make something better) · sw boresha (to become better) · sq përmirësoj (to make something better) · it fare migliorie (to make something better) · hy բարելավվել (to become better) · cho achukmʋlichi (to make something better) · ru нала́диться (to become better) · la melius fio (to become better) · fa بهبود یافتن (to become better) · uk покра́щити (to make something better) · cmn 改善 (to make something better) · gl mellorar (to become better) · uk покра́щуватися (to become better) · th ทุเลา (to become better) · sv bättra (to make something better) · cmn 改善 (to become better) · ja 好転する (to become better) · ja 良くする (to make something better) · sh pobòljšati se (to become better) · got 𐌱𐍉𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to make something better) · it migliorare (to make something better) · fy ferbetterje (to make something better) · az təkmilləşdirmək (to make something better) · th ปรับปรุง (to make something better) · sv bli bättre (to become better) · pl usprawnić (to make something better) · pl usprawniać (to make something better) · eu hobetu (to make something better) · la melior fio (to become better)