Synonyms of ameliorate

ameliorate

verb

ə-ˈmēl-yə-ˌrāt 

as in to improve

to make better

social legislation that must be given credit for ameliorating the lot of millions of deprived people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• improve
• enhance
• remedy
• remediate
• better
• help
• enrich
• refine
• amend
• perfect
• upgrade
• meliorate
• reinforce
• rectify
• intensify
• strengthen
• correct
• rehabilitate
• reform
• revise
• refurbish
• fine-tune
• fortify
• boost
• rework
• edit
• emend
• revamp
• fine
• polish
• hone
• beef (up)
• redraft
• rehab
• retouch
• touch up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• worsen
• impair
• harm
• hurt
• damage
• injure
• reduce
• vitiate
• tarnish
• spoil
• diminish
• lessen
• flaw
• blight
• disfigure
• mar
• deface
• lower
• endamage
• blemish

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

Recent Examples of ameliorate

The 40-foot elevation drop from the General Hospital forecourt to the commercial hub will be ameliorated by raising the low area about 20 feet. — Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026

If that doesn’t happen, there are always the records to remind him of the heights that Jaimoe reached with the Allmans, which can still ameliorate the sadness. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026

Skau warned that as attention turns towards ameliorating the security crisis, resources should not be taken away from addressing the surging humanitarian needs, which include more than 5 million people who do not have enough to eat. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

And can the extreme technical divergences and multiple overbought conditions be ameliorated without much pain, as suggested by Monday's benign rotational action in the face of a stiff drop in semis and other momentum stocks? — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 19 May 2026

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