Synonyms of dilate

dilate

verb

as in to distend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distend
• inflate
• augment
• increase
• expand
• enlarge
• add (to)
• swell
• accelerate
• multiply
• extend
• amplify
• escalate
• aggrandize
• blow up
• stoke
• lengthen
• compound
• pump up
• elongate
• skyrocket
• build up
• jump
• prolong
• boost
• up
• intensify
• protract
• spike
• supersize
• bump (up)
• draw out
• enhance
• heighten
• flesh (out)
• stretch
• develop
• ratchet (up)
• raise
• boom
• magnify
• supplement
• complement
• hype
• reinforce
• rachet (up)
• strengthen
• reenforce
• maximize
• beef (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shorten
• curtail
• abridge
• constrict
• abbreviate
• compress
• contract
• condense
• reduce
• cut back
• retrench
• diminish
• decrease
• lessen
• abate
• dwindle
• lower
• subtract (from)
• downsize
• minify
• de-escalate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dilate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dilate are amplify, distend, expand, inflate, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

When is amplify a more appropriate choice than dilate?

In some situations, the words amplify and dilate are roughly equivalent. However, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When can distend be used instead of dilate?

The words distend and dilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

Where would expand be a reasonable alternative to dilate?

Although the words expand and dilate have much in common, expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When is it sensible to use inflate instead of dilate?

The synonyms inflate and dilate are sometimes interchangeable, but inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When would swell be a good substitute for dilate?

The words swell and dilate can be used in similar contexts, but swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dilate

During an eye exam, an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) may use drops to temporarily dilate the pupil to see inside the eye.7 Symptoms With miosis, either one or both pupils may be abnormally small. —Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025

And times dilate, or lengthen, by a factor of γ, for any object-in-motion relative to their otherwise stationary surroundings. —Big Think, 28 Feb. 2025

The cervix can open (dilate) to let out fluids like blood during a period. —Andrea L. Braden, Verywell Health, 14 Feb. 2025

Part of the problem was well known—in response to severe inflammation, blood vessels dilate, causing blood pressure to drop precipitously—but Doctor wondered whether the root cause was red-cell injury. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025