improve

verb

im·​prove im-ˈprüv How to pronounce improve (audio)
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
improvable adjective
improver noun
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
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.
To do that, and to beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Tottenham must improve on Monaco in all phases but one. Elias Burke, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025 That data is then used to help others improve people's work lives. Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025 Each of the banks posted rising hauls from net interest income on lower funding costs, while some of their metrics around credit quality actually improved from previous quarters. Hugh Son, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Many school superintendents and parents say state leaders have been fixated on the wrong things if the goal is to improve schools. Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for improve

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of improve was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Improve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improve. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

improve

verb
im·​prove im-ˈprüv How to pronounce improve (audio)
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 adjective
improver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on improve

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