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
• reenforce
• 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

The supplement can lower liver enzymes and improve cholesterol levels.1112 Research on the use of turmeric in fatty liver disease is mixed. —Health, 25 July 2025

His handling of one-on-one situations has improved. —Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 25 July 2025

As southerly winds are forecast to return over the weekend, state officials anticipated that smoke may be pushed farther north, allowing air quality to improve gradually in majority of the state. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025

The company reports that one client achieved 15–25% savings on total drug spend by applying insights surfaced through their analytics engine — improving formulary alignment, optimizing channel routing, and managing drug mix more actively, all without switching PBMs or disrupting member care. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 25 July 2025