Synonyms of improve

improve

verb

im-ˈprüv 

as in to enhance

to make better

a little salt would improve this bland food

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word improve distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of improve are ameliorate, better, and help. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use ameliorate instead of improve?

Although the words ameliorate and improve have much in common, ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

When would help be a good substitute for improve?

While the synonyms help and improve are close in meaning, help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of improve

Think of it as a digital version of survival of the fittest for computer code, where generations of candidate solutions evolve and improve by applying operations like mutation and selection. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026

McNevin voiced confidence this week that a verdict in Kiesle’s case could improve the abuse victims’ negotiation position. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026

Nashville, 5-1-1 in is last seven, improved to 75 points (33-28-9) and held on to the second Western Conference wild-card slot. —CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026

The nonconformists of the game have disappeared slowly, and many players seem to be more concerned about promoting their brands, improving their social-media followings or auditioning for a post-career job as a baseball analyst. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026