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  1. Home /
  2. Dictionaries /
  3. English Dictionary /
  4. improve

improve

/ɪmˈpruːv/
to make something better

She wants to improve her English skills.

She wants to make her English skills better.


general

to make something better or more effective

Regular exercise can improve your health.

Regular exercise can make your health better.

The new software will improve the system's performance.

The new software will make the system's performance better.

Can be used with both tangible and intangible things.

Collocations

improve performancemake something work betterimprove skillsbecome better at somethingimprove conditionsmake living or working conditions better

Synonyms

enhancebetterupgraderefineboost

Antonyms

worsendeterioratedeclinediminish

Related Phrases

improve onphrase
to do better than something already existing
improve inphrase
to get better at a specific skill or area

Pro Tip

Common Collocations

Remember common phrases like 'improve performance', 'improve skills', and 'improve conditions'.

Gold Rule

Verb Form

'Improve' is a regular verb. Its past tense and past participle are 'improved'.

Word Origin

From Middle English 'improven', from Old French 'amprover', from Latin 'improbare' meaning 'to prove, approve'.

Usage Notes

Often used with 'on' (improve on) or 'in' (improve in). Can be followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).

Word Breakdown

im-
in, into
prefix
+
-prove
to prove or test
root
English Dictionary
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Words of the Year

The most notable words that defined each year. Discover the vocabulary that shaped our world.