augment

¹aug·ment

verb \ȯg-ˈment\

Definition of AUGMENT

transitive verb

1

: to make greater, more numerous, larger, or more intense <the impact of the report was augmented by its timing>

2

: to add an augment to (see ²augment)

3

: supplement <augmented her income>

intransitive verb

: to become augmented

— aug·ment·er or aug·men·tor \-ˈmen-tər\ noun

Examples of AUGMENT

1. The money augmented his fortune.
2. Heavy rains augmented the water supply.
3. … a former member of Brunet's team, Jean-Renaud Boisserie of Berkeley, is in the Middle Awash seeking to augment the animal fossil record—particularly that of hippopotamuses. —Rex Dalton, Nature, 5 Jan. 2006
4. These reserve units will soon be augmented by full-time Maritime Safety and Security Teams. The first of these teams was formed on July 3; a dozen more are supposed to be created within the next three years. —David Helvarg, Popular Science, September 2002
5. The sale of its shares in such companies has helped augment its cash reserves from $1.7 billion to $2 billion. Call it a rainy-day fund—something that other dot-coms never had. But the move also suggests that even Yahoo has lost faith in the once boundless promise of Internet companies. —Brad Stone, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2001

Origin of AUGMENT

Middle English, from Anglo-French augmenter, from Late Latin augmentare, from Latin augmentum increase, from augēre to increase — more at eke

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to AUGMENT

Synonyms: accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, increase, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, stoke, supersize, up

Antonyms: abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

Related Words: boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlay

Near Antonyms: abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrench

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See Synonym Discussion at increase

Rhymes with AUGMENT

absent, accent, Advent, anent, ascent, assent, besprent, cement, comment, consent, content, convent, descent, detent, dissent, docent, event, extent, ferment, foment, fragment, frequent, hell-bent, indent, intent, invent, lament, loment, low-rent, mordent, outspent, percent, pigment, portent, present, prevent, pup tent, quitrent, rack-rent, relent, repent, resent, segment, Shymkent, Tashkent, torment, well-meant, wisent