English words for 'to make better'
Closest matches for "to make better" are ranked by semantic fit across dictionary definitions.
Search results
verb
noun
verb
adj
- (comparative of ‘good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
- more than half
- (comparative of ‘good’) changed for the better in health or fitness
- (comparative and superlative of ‘well’) wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable
- comparative form of well: more well
- Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
- Greater in amount or quantity
- comparative form of good: more good
- Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.
noun
adv
verb
- make better or improve in quality
- make wealthy or richer
- (physics, transitive) To increase the amount of one isotope in a mixture of isotopes, especially in a nuclear fuel. [from 20th c.]
- (transitive) To add nutrients or fertilizer to the soil; to fertilize. [from 17th c.]
- (chemistry) To make to rise the proportion of a given constituent.
- (transitive) To enhance.
- (transitive) To make (someone or something) rich or richer. [from 14th c.]
- (transitive) To add nutrients to foodstuffs; to fortify.
- (transitive) To adorn, ornate more richly. [from 17th c.]
verb
- improve; change for the better
- abstain from doing; always used with a negative
- give help or assistance; be of service
- take or use
- improve the condition of
- contribute to the furtherance of
- be of use
- help to some food; help with food or drink
- (Hong Kong, Singapore) To do something on the behalf of someone.
- (Singapore, Singlish, imperative) To assist or sympathize with (the speaker); used to express displeasure, disappointment or exasperation.
- (transitive) To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can.
- (transitive) To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with to.
- (intransitive) To provide assistance.
- (transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something).
- (transitive) To contribute in some way to.
noun
- a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
- a means of serving
- a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
- the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
- (usually uncountable) One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.
- (countable) A study aid.
- Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.
- (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.
- (computing) Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer.
- (uncountable) Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.
intj
verb
- To improve.
- (psychology) To frame in a positive light; to provide a sympathetic interpretation.
- (optometry) To increase a correction.
- (homeopathy) To increase the potency of a remedy by diluting it in water and stirring.
- (often followed by 'up') To increase in magnitude.
- (informal) To add; to subject to addition.
- To provide critical feedback by giving suggestions for improvement rather than criticisms.
- (sales) To sell additional related items with an original purchase.
adj
- Being positive rather than negative or zero.
- (physics) Electrically positive.
- (postpostitive, informal) And more.
- Positive, or involving advantage.
- (postpositive, somewhat informal) (Of a quantity) Equal to or greater than; or more; upwards.
- involving advantage or good
- on the positive side or higher end of a scale
conj
noun
prep
noun
- Something which is improved
- the act of improving something
- The act of improving; advancement or growth; a bettering
- The state of being improved; betterment; advance
- (Patent Laws): A useful addition to, or modification of, a machine, manufacture, or composition.
- Increase; growth; progress; advance.
- (in the plural) Valuable additions or betterments, for example buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on premises.
- The act of making profitable use or application of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; practical application, for example of a doctrine, principle, or theory, stated in a discourse.
- a condition superior to an earlier condition
- a change for the better; progress in development
noun
- a change for the better
- the action of lessening in severity or intensity
- quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes
- the trait of avoiding excesses
- An instance of moderating: bringing something away from extremes, especially in a beneficial way
- The process of moderating a discussion
- Usage of neutron moderator to slow down neutrons in a nuclear reactor.
- The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes
noun
- a change for the better
- someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
- aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped
- the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance)
- assistance in time of difficulty
- a pause for relaxation
- the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
- (law) redress awarded by a court
- sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background
- the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
- the act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged
- Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
- The difference of elevations on a surface.
- (countable) A sculpture or other artwork made with such a method.
- The removal of stress or discomfort.
- (military) Military assistance to break a siege or an encirclement.
- A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.
- (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.
- The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
- (uncountable) A method of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
- Relative distinctness, perceived difference due to contrast.
- (golf) Permission for a player to move their ball to a more convenient spot before taking a shot, under certain circumstances.
- (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
- Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
- The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
- A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
- (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) Ellipsis of relief teacher.
- The person who takes over a shift for another.
adj
contraction
verb
- change for the better
- improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition
- produce by cracking
- make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices
- bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one
- break up the molecules of
- (transitive) To put into a new and improved form or condition; to restore to a former good state, or bring from bad to good; to change from worse to better.
- (intransitive) To return to a good state; to amend or correct one's own character or habits.
- (transitive, intransitive) To form again or in a new configuration.
noun
verb
- change for the better
- make straight
- put (things or places) in order
- settle or put right
- extricate from entanglement
- make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
- (transitive) To tidy, neaten, or organize.
- (intransitive, idiomatic) To correct; to stop doing something wrong.
- (transitive) To make straight.
- (transitive, Mafia slang) To be made a made man in a Mafia organization.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To eliminate confusion from or concerning.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To correct or rectify.
- (transitive, informal) To (supposedly) make (a gay person) heterosexual.
verb
- make bigger or better or more complete
- line or stuff with soft material
- write all the required information onto a form
- make fat or plump
- become round, plump, or shapely
- supplement what is thought to be deficient
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fill, out.
- (transitive) To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.
- (intransitive) To have one's physique expand with maturity or with surplus weight.
verb
- put into a better state
- develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
- establish a conditioned response
- apply conditioner to in order to make smooth and shiny
- specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement
- To subject to the process of acclimation.
- (transitive) To test or assay, as silk (to ascertain the proportion of moisture it contains).
- (US, colleges, transitive) To put under conditions; to require to pass a new examination or to make up a specified study, as a condition of remaining in one's class or in college.
- (transitive) To treat, especially hair with hair conditioner.
- (transitive) To contract; to stipulate; to agree.
- To subject to different conditions, especially as an exercise.
- To shape the behaviour of someone to do something.
- To make dependent on a condition to be fulfilled; to make conditional on.
- (transitive) To place conditions or limitations upon.
- To impose upon an object those relations or conditions without which knowledge and thought are alleged to be impossible.
noun
- a state at a particular time
- an illness, disease, or other medical problem
- information that should be kept in mind when making a decision
- the state of (good) health (especially in the phrases ‘in condition’ or ‘in shape’ or ‘out of condition’ or ‘out of shape’)
- (usually plural) a statement of what is required as part of an agreement
- an assumption on which rests the validity or effect of something else
- the procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable's effect by comparison with a control condition
- a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
- A state or quality.
- A requirement.
- (law) A clause in a contract or agreement indicating that a certain contingency may modify the principal obligation in some way.
- A certain abnormal state of health; a malady or sickness.
- The health status of a medical patient.
- A logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses. The phrase can either be true or false.
- A particular state of being.
verb
- To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right.
- To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform.
- To add fuel to (a fire).
- To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy.
- In mend one's pace: to adjust (a pace or speed), especially to match that of someone or something else; also, to quicken or speed up (a pace).
- To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged).
- (chiefly Scotland) To become morally improved or reformed.
- Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness.
- Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal.
- (archaic except UK, regional) To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal.
- heal or recover
- restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
noun
- (uncountable) Chiefly in on the mend: improvement in health; recovery from illness.
- (countable) An act of repairing.
- (countable) A place in a thing (such as a tear in clothing) which has been repaired.
- sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment)
- the act of putting something in working order again
noun
adj
- Able to repair or ameliorate.
- (linguistics) Suggesting or relating to a positive or approving evaluation.
- (philosophy) Of or relating to conceptual engineering, the normative study of which conceptual demarcation is most conducive to solve the problems the concept is a priori taken to solve.
- tending to ameliorate
verb
- improve significantly; go from bad to good
- lift out or reflect from a background
- give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift
- fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
- gather or collect
- register (perceptual input)
- take and lift upward
- perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
- meet someone for sexual purposes
- take into custody
- gain or regain energy
- buy casually or spontaneously
- eat by pecking at, like a bird
- get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
- take up by hand
- get in addition, as an increase
- (intransitive) To improve, increase, or speed up.
- (intransitive) To restart or resume.
- (sports) To behave in a manner that results in a foul.
- (transitive and intransitive with on) To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation.
- (transitive or intransitive) To clean up; to return to an organized state.
- (transitive) To point out the behaviour, habits, or actions of (a person) in a critical manner; used with on.
- (transitive, media) To obtain and publish a story, news item, etc.
- To reach and continue along (a road).
- (transitive) To record; to notch up.
- (transitive) To acquire (something) accidentally; to catch or contract (a disease).
- (transitive) To reduce the despondency of.
- (transitive) To take control (physically) of something.
- (intransitive, of a phone) To receive calls; to function correctly.
- (transitive) To notice, detect or discern; to pick up on.
- (soccer, transitive) To mark, to defend against an opposition player by following them closely.
- (transitive) To collect and detain (a suspect).
- (transitive) To pay for.
- (transitive) To collect an object, especially in passing.
- (transitive) To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand; to realize.
- (transitive) To collect a passenger.
- (US, military, transitive) To promote somebody who was previously passed over.
- (transitive) To lift; to grasp and raise.
- (transitive or intransitive) To answer a telephone.
- (transitive) To receive (a radio signal or the like).
noun
verb
- improve significantly; go from bad to good
- improve dramatically
- turn abruptly and face the other way, either physically or metaphorically
- (transitive, figurative) To change drastically in a fundamental way, often for the better; to change to the opposite (opinion or position).
- (transitive, idiomatic, of an idea) To consider from a different viewpoint.
- (intransitive, idiomatic, colloquial) To suddenly change or reverse one's opinion, point of view, stated position, behaviour, etc.
- (transitive, business, management, sports) To reverse an expected outcome (of a game, etc.), usually from a losing outcome to a winning one; to return (a business, department, etc.) to effectiveness, profitability, etc.
- (transitive, idiomatic, colloquial) (often with a unit of time) To produce; to output; to generate.
- (ergative) To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount.
- (transitive, espionage) To convert (an agent) to work for one's own side.
noun
verb
- see one's performance improve
- rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force such as a wave
- rise or move forward
- rise and move, as in waves or billows
- rise rapidly
- (intransitive) To rush, flood, or increase suddenly.
- To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
- (transitive, nautical) To slack off a line.
- (intransitive, aviation, of a jet engine) To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow.
noun
- a sudden forceful flow
- a large sea wave
- a sudden or abrupt strong increase
- (electricity) A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
- The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.
- (US, naval, often attributive) A deployment in large numbers at short notice.
- (nautical) The swell or heave of the sea.
- The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation.
- (aviation) A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.
- A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
phrase
verb
noun
- the result of improving something
- developing in intricate and painstaking detail
- a discussion that provides additional information
- addition of extra material or illustration or clarifying detail
- marked by elaborately complex detail
- (electronics) The process of taking a parsed tree of an abstract integrated circuit definition in a language such as Verilog and creating a hierarchy of module instances that ends with primitive (atomic) gates and statements.
- (psychology) The level of processing of a message or argument.
- The natural process of formation or assimilation, performed by the living organs in animals and vegetables, by which a crude substance is changed into something of a higher order
- The act or process of producing or refining with labor; improvement by successive operations; refinement.
- (computing) Setting up a hierarchy of calculated constants in a language such as Ada so that the values of one or more of them determine others further down in the hierarchy.
noun
- the result of improving something
- a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
- the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste
- a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality
- the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.)
- (software engineering) Synonym of grooming (“review and prioritization process”).
- The act, or the result of refining; the removal of impurities, or a purified material
- A fine or subtle distinction.
- High-class style; cultivation.
- A luxury.
verb
- make sharp or sharper
- become sharp or sharper
- put (an image) into focus
- make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper
- make (one's senses) more acute
- raise the pitch of (musical notes)
- make crisp or more crisp and precise
- give a point to
- (intransitive) To become sharp.
- (transitive, sometimes figurative) To make sharp.
verb
- make new
- use again in altered form
- (idiomatic) (of a person, particularly a woman) To give a new physical look to, especially with a new hairstyle, cosmetics, or clothes.
- (idiomatic) (of a career, public image, etc.) To improve upon or take in a new direction.
- (idiomatic) To transfer ownership (or care) of, especially by means of a legal document.
- (idiomatic) To renovate or to convert to a different use, particularly houses, offices, or rooms within them.
noun
- An improvement.
- the act of improving something (especially machinery) by raising it to a higher grade (as by adding or replacing components)
- An upward grade or slope.
- An improved component or replacement item, usually applied to technology.
- a reservation that is improved
- the property possessed by a slope or surface that rises
- software that provides better performance than an earlier version did
- an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
- hardware that provides better performance than an earlier version did
adv
verb
- (transitive) To improve the equipment or furnishings of or services rendered to.
- (transitive) To replace with something better.
- (transitive) To improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components.
- (intransitive, transitive, computing) To replace a program with a later version of itself, a version having a higher version number or marketed under a more recent product name.
- (intransitive) To improve in condition or status.
- give better travel conditions to
- get better travel conditions
- give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
- rate higher; raise in value or esteem
- to improve what was old or outdated
verb
- make easier
- lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate
- lessen the intensity of or calm
- move gently or carefully
- (intransitive) To lessen in intensity.
- (transitive) To move (something) slowly and carefully.
- (transitive) To give respite to (someone).
- To reduce speed.
- (transitive) To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain).
- (transitive) To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.
- (transitive) To reduce the difficulty of (something).
- (intransitive) To proceed with little effort.
- (nautical, transitive) To loosen or slacken the tension on a line.
noun
- a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state
- freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort
- the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
- freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
- freedom from constraint or embarrassment
- (clothing) Additional space provided to allow greater movement.
- Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence.
- Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference.
- Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth.
- Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace.
- Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position.
- Freedom from effort; leisure, rest.
- Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
- Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance.
verb
- change in quality
- change gears
- change place or direction
- move around
- make a shift in or exchange of
- move very slightly
- move and exchange for another
- use a shift key on a keyboard
- move abruptly
- move sideways or in an unsteady way
- lay aside, abandon, or leave for another
- change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change
- move from one setting or context to another
- (transitive, sometimes figurative) To move from one place to another; to redistribute.
- (typewriters) To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters or special characters.
- (ergative, figurative) To change in form or character; switch.
- (computer keyboards) To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters or special characters.
- (intransitive) To use meditation or other means to change the reality that one's consciousness resides in.
- (intransitive, India) To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.
- (transitive, computing) To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate.
- (Ireland, vulgar, slang, transitive) To engage in sexual petting with.
- (intransitive) To practice indirect or evasive methods; to contrive.
- (intransitive) To hurry; to move quickly.
- (intransitive) To change gears (in an automobile).
- (Minecraft, video games) To crouch in game, especially if the shift key is pressed to initiate crouching.
- (Nigeria, slang) To steal or kidnap.
- (transitive, computing) To remove (the first value from an array).
- (transitive) To dispose of, remove.
- (intransitive, sometimes reflexive and figurative) To change position; to move.
- (intransitive, music) In violin-playing, to move the left hand from its original position next to the nut.
noun
- a qualitative change
- the act of moving from one place to another
- an event in which something is displaced without rotation
- a woman's sleeveless undergarment
- the act of changing one thing or position for another
- (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
- a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time
- the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters
- a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist
- the time period during which you are at work
- (historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.
- (music) In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.
- (computing) A control code or character used to change between different character sets.
- An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.
- (baseball) An infield shift.
- A movement to do something, a beginning.
- (construction) The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.
- (computing) An instance of the use of such a code or character.
- A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.
- (US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.
- A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means.
- Alternative spelling of Shift (“a modifier button of computer keyboards”).
- (British slang) be done; ruined
- (Ireland, crude slang, often with the definite article, usually uncountable) The act of kissing passionately.
- (genetics) A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine.
- A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time.
- (mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.
- (computing) A bit shift.
prep_phrase
noun
- Something which is improved
- the act of improving something
- The act of improving; advancement or growth; a bettering
- The state of being improved; betterment; advance
- (Patent Laws): A useful addition to, or modification of, a machine, manufacture, or composition.
- Increase; growth; progress; advance.
- (in the plural) Valuable additions or betterments, for example buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on premises.
- The act of making profitable use or application of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; practical application, for example of a doctrine, principle, or theory, stated in a discourse.
- a condition superior to an earlier condition
- a change for the better; progress in development
noun
- a change for the better
- the action of lessening in severity or intensity
- quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes
- the trait of avoiding excesses
- An instance of moderating: bringing something away from extremes, especially in a beneficial way
- The process of moderating a discussion
- Usage of neutron moderator to slow down neutrons in a nuclear reactor.
- The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes
noun
- a change for the better
- someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
- aid for the aged or indigent or handicapped
- the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance)
- assistance in time of difficulty
- a pause for relaxation
- the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
- (law) redress awarded by a court
- sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background
- the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
- the act of freeing a city or town that has been besieged
- Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
- The difference of elevations on a surface.
- (countable) A sculpture or other artwork made with such a method.
- The removal of stress or discomfort.
- (military) Military assistance to break a siege or an encirclement.
- A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.
- (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.
- The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
- (uncountable) A method of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
- Relative distinctness, perceived difference due to contrast.
- (golf) Permission for a player to move their ball to a more convenient spot before taking a shot, under certain circumstances.
- (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
- Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
- The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
- A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
- (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) Ellipsis of relief teacher.
- The person who takes over a shift for another.
adj
noun
adj
- Able to repair or ameliorate.
- (linguistics) Suggesting or relating to a positive or approving evaluation.
- (philosophy) Of or relating to conceptual engineering, the normative study of which conceptual demarcation is most conducive to solve the problems the concept is a priori taken to solve.
- tending to ameliorate
noun
- the result of improving something
- developing in intricate and painstaking detail
- a discussion that provides additional information
- addition of extra material or illustration or clarifying detail
- marked by elaborately complex detail
- (electronics) The process of taking a parsed tree of an abstract integrated circuit definition in a language such as Verilog and creating a hierarchy of module instances that ends with primitive (atomic) gates and statements.
- (psychology) The level of processing of a message or argument.
- The natural process of formation or assimilation, performed by the living organs in animals and vegetables, by which a crude substance is changed into something of a higher order
- The act or process of producing or refining with labor; improvement by successive operations; refinement.
- (computing) Setting up a hierarchy of calculated constants in a language such as Ada so that the values of one or more of them determine others further down in the hierarchy.
noun
- the result of improving something
- a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
- the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste
- a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality
- the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.)
- (software engineering) Synonym of grooming (“review and prioritization process”).
- The act, or the result of refining; the removal of impurities, or a purified material
- A fine or subtle distinction.
- High-class style; cultivation.
- A luxury.
noun
- An improvement.
- the act of improving something (especially machinery) by raising it to a higher grade (as by adding or replacing components)
- An upward grade or slope.
- An improved component or replacement item, usually applied to technology.
- a reservation that is improved
- the property possessed by a slope or surface that rises
- software that provides better performance than an earlier version did
- an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
- hardware that provides better performance than an earlier version did
adv
verb
- (transitive) To improve the equipment or furnishings of or services rendered to.
- (transitive) To replace with something better.
- (transitive) To improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components.
- (intransitive, transitive, computing) To replace a program with a later version of itself, a version having a higher version number or marketed under a more recent product name.
- (intransitive) To improve in condition or status.
- give better travel conditions to
- get better travel conditions
- give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
- rate higher; raise in value or esteem
- to improve what was old or outdated
verb
noun
verb
adj
- (comparative of ‘good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
- more than half
- (comparative of ‘good’) changed for the better in health or fitness
- (comparative and superlative of ‘well’) wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable
- comparative form of well: more well
- Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
- Greater in amount or quantity
- comparative form of good: more good
- Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.
noun
adv
verb
- make better or improve in quality
- make wealthy or richer
- (physics, transitive) To increase the amount of one isotope in a mixture of isotopes, especially in a nuclear fuel. [from 20th c.]
- (transitive) To add nutrients or fertilizer to the soil; to fertilize. [from 17th c.]
- (chemistry) To make to rise the proportion of a given constituent.
- (transitive) To enhance.
- (transitive) To make (someone or something) rich or richer. [from 14th c.]
- (transitive) To add nutrients to foodstuffs; to fortify.
- (transitive) To adorn, ornate more richly. [from 17th c.]
verb
- improve; change for the better
- abstain from doing; always used with a negative
- give help or assistance; be of service
- take or use
- improve the condition of
- contribute to the furtherance of
- be of use
- help to some food; help with food or drink
- (Hong Kong, Singapore) To do something on the behalf of someone.
- (Singapore, Singlish, imperative) To assist or sympathize with (the speaker); used to express displeasure, disappointment or exasperation.
- (transitive) To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can.
- (transitive) To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with to.
- (intransitive) To provide assistance.
- (transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something).
- (transitive) To contribute in some way to.
noun
- a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
- a means of serving
- a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
- the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
- (usually uncountable) One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.
- (countable) A study aid.
- Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.
- (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.
- (computing) Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer.
- (uncountable) Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.
intj
verb
- To improve.
- (psychology) To frame in a positive light; to provide a sympathetic interpretation.
- (optometry) To increase a correction.
- (homeopathy) To increase the potency of a remedy by diluting it in water and stirring.
- (often followed by 'up') To increase in magnitude.
- (informal) To add; to subject to addition.
- To provide critical feedback by giving suggestions for improvement rather than criticisms.
- (sales) To sell additional related items with an original purchase.
adj
- Being positive rather than negative or zero.
- (physics) Electrically positive.
- (postpostitive, informal) And more.
- Positive, or involving advantage.
- (postpositive, somewhat informal) (Of a quantity) Equal to or greater than; or more; upwards.
- involving advantage or good
- on the positive side or higher end of a scale
conj
noun
prep
verb
- change for the better
- improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition
- produce by cracking
- make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices
- bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one
- break up the molecules of
- (transitive) To put into a new and improved form or condition; to restore to a former good state, or bring from bad to good; to change from worse to better.
- (intransitive) To return to a good state; to amend or correct one's own character or habits.
- (transitive, intransitive) To form again or in a new configuration.
noun
verb
- change for the better
- make straight
- put (things or places) in order
- settle or put right
- extricate from entanglement
- make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
- (transitive) To tidy, neaten, or organize.
- (intransitive, idiomatic) To correct; to stop doing something wrong.
- (transitive) To make straight.
- (transitive, Mafia slang) To be made a made man in a Mafia organization.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To eliminate confusion from or concerning.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To correct or rectify.
- (transitive, informal) To (supposedly) make (a gay person) heterosexual.
verb
- make bigger or better or more complete
- line or stuff with soft material
- write all the required information onto a form
- make fat or plump
- become round, plump, or shapely
- supplement what is thought to be deficient
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fill, out.
- (transitive) To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.
- (intransitive) To have one's physique expand with maturity or with surplus weight.
verb
- put into a better state
- develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
- establish a conditioned response
- apply conditioner to in order to make smooth and shiny
- specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement
- To subject to the process of acclimation.
- (transitive) To test or assay, as silk (to ascertain the proportion of moisture it contains).
- (US, colleges, transitive) To put under conditions; to require to pass a new examination or to make up a specified study, as a condition of remaining in one's class or in college.
- (transitive) To treat, especially hair with hair conditioner.
- (transitive) To contract; to stipulate; to agree.
- To subject to different conditions, especially as an exercise.
- To shape the behaviour of someone to do something.
- To make dependent on a condition to be fulfilled; to make conditional on.
- (transitive) To place conditions or limitations upon.
- To impose upon an object those relations or conditions without which knowledge and thought are alleged to be impossible.
noun
- a state at a particular time
- an illness, disease, or other medical problem
- information that should be kept in mind when making a decision
- the state of (good) health (especially in the phrases ‘in condition’ or ‘in shape’ or ‘out of condition’ or ‘out of shape’)
- (usually plural) a statement of what is required as part of an agreement
- an assumption on which rests the validity or effect of something else
- the procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable's effect by comparison with a control condition
- a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
- A state or quality.
- A requirement.
- (law) A clause in a contract or agreement indicating that a certain contingency may modify the principal obligation in some way.
- A certain abnormal state of health; a malady or sickness.
- The health status of a medical patient.
- A logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses. The phrase can either be true or false.
- A particular state of being.
verb
- To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right.
- To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform.
- To add fuel to (a fire).
- To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy.
- In mend one's pace: to adjust (a pace or speed), especially to match that of someone or something else; also, to quicken or speed up (a pace).
- To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged).
- (chiefly Scotland) To become morally improved or reformed.
- Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness.
- Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal.
- (archaic except UK, regional) To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal.
- heal or recover
- restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
noun
- (uncountable) Chiefly in on the mend: improvement in health; recovery from illness.
- (countable) An act of repairing.
- (countable) A place in a thing (such as a tear in clothing) which has been repaired.
- sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment)
- the act of putting something in working order again
verb
- improve significantly; go from bad to good
- lift out or reflect from a background
- give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift
- fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
- gather or collect
- register (perceptual input)
- take and lift upward
- perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
- meet someone for sexual purposes
- take into custody
- gain or regain energy
- buy casually or spontaneously
- eat by pecking at, like a bird
- get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
- take up by hand
- get in addition, as an increase
- (intransitive) To improve, increase, or speed up.
- (intransitive) To restart or resume.
- (sports) To behave in a manner that results in a foul.
- (transitive and intransitive with on) To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation.
- (transitive or intransitive) To clean up; to return to an organized state.
- (transitive) To point out the behaviour, habits, or actions of (a person) in a critical manner; used with on.
- (transitive, media) To obtain and publish a story, news item, etc.
- To reach and continue along (a road).
- (transitive) To record; to notch up.
- (transitive) To acquire (something) accidentally; to catch or contract (a disease).
- (transitive) To reduce the despondency of.
- (transitive) To take control (physically) of something.
- (intransitive, of a phone) To receive calls; to function correctly.
- (transitive) To notice, detect or discern; to pick up on.
- (soccer, transitive) To mark, to defend against an opposition player by following them closely.
- (transitive) To collect and detain (a suspect).
- (transitive) To pay for.
- (transitive) To collect an object, especially in passing.
- (transitive) To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand; to realize.
- (transitive) To collect a passenger.
- (US, military, transitive) To promote somebody who was previously passed over.
- (transitive) To lift; to grasp and raise.
- (transitive or intransitive) To answer a telephone.
- (transitive) To receive (a radio signal or the like).
noun
verb
- improve significantly; go from bad to good
- improve dramatically
- turn abruptly and face the other way, either physically or metaphorically
- (transitive, figurative) To change drastically in a fundamental way, often for the better; to change to the opposite (opinion or position).
- (transitive, idiomatic, of an idea) To consider from a different viewpoint.
- (intransitive, idiomatic, colloquial) To suddenly change or reverse one's opinion, point of view, stated position, behaviour, etc.
- (transitive, business, management, sports) To reverse an expected outcome (of a game, etc.), usually from a losing outcome to a winning one; to return (a business, department, etc.) to effectiveness, profitability, etc.
- (transitive, idiomatic, colloquial) (often with a unit of time) To produce; to output; to generate.
- (ergative) To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount.
- (transitive, espionage) To convert (an agent) to work for one's own side.
noun
verb
- see one's performance improve
- rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force such as a wave
- rise or move forward
- rise and move, as in waves or billows
- rise rapidly
- (intransitive) To rush, flood, or increase suddenly.
- To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
- (transitive, nautical) To slack off a line.
- (intransitive, aviation, of a jet engine) To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow.
noun
- a sudden forceful flow
- a large sea wave
- a sudden or abrupt strong increase
- (electricity) A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
- The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.
- (US, naval, often attributive) A deployment in large numbers at short notice.
- (nautical) The swell or heave of the sea.
- The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation.
- (aviation) A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.
- A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
verb
verb
- make sharp or sharper
- become sharp or sharper
- put (an image) into focus
- make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper
- make (one's senses) more acute
- raise the pitch of (musical notes)
- make crisp or more crisp and precise
- give a point to
- (intransitive) To become sharp.
- (transitive, sometimes figurative) To make sharp.
verb
- make new
- use again in altered form
- (idiomatic) (of a person, particularly a woman) To give a new physical look to, especially with a new hairstyle, cosmetics, or clothes.
- (idiomatic) (of a career, public image, etc.) To improve upon or take in a new direction.
- (idiomatic) To transfer ownership (or care) of, especially by means of a legal document.
- (idiomatic) To renovate or to convert to a different use, particularly houses, offices, or rooms within them.
verb
- make easier
- lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate
- lessen the intensity of or calm
- move gently or carefully
- (intransitive) To lessen in intensity.
- (transitive) To move (something) slowly and carefully.
- (transitive) To give respite to (someone).
- To reduce speed.
- (transitive) To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain).
- (transitive) To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.
- (transitive) To reduce the difficulty of (something).
- (intransitive) To proceed with little effort.
- (nautical, transitive) To loosen or slacken the tension on a line.
noun
- a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state
- freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort
- the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress)
- freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
- freedom from constraint or embarrassment
- (clothing) Additional space provided to allow greater movement.
- Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence.
- Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference.
- Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth.
- Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace.
- Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position.
- Freedom from effort; leisure, rest.
- Lack of difficulty; the ability to do something easily.
- Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance.
verb
- change in quality
- change gears
- change place or direction
- move around
- make a shift in or exchange of
- move very slightly
- move and exchange for another
- use a shift key on a keyboard
- move abruptly
- move sideways or in an unsteady way
- lay aside, abandon, or leave for another
- change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change
- move from one setting or context to another
- (transitive, sometimes figurative) To move from one place to another; to redistribute.
- (typewriters) To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters or special characters.
- (ergative, figurative) To change in form or character; switch.
- (computer keyboards) To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters or special characters.
- (intransitive) To use meditation or other means to change the reality that one's consciousness resides in.
- (intransitive, India) To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.
- (transitive, computing) To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate.
- (Ireland, vulgar, slang, transitive) To engage in sexual petting with.
- (intransitive) To practice indirect or evasive methods; to contrive.
- (intransitive) To hurry; to move quickly.
- (intransitive) To change gears (in an automobile).
- (Minecraft, video games) To crouch in game, especially if the shift key is pressed to initiate crouching.
- (Nigeria, slang) To steal or kidnap.
- (transitive, computing) To remove (the first value from an array).
- (transitive) To dispose of, remove.
- (intransitive, sometimes reflexive and figurative) To change position; to move.
- (intransitive, music) In violin-playing, to move the left hand from its original position next to the nut.
noun
- a qualitative change
- the act of moving from one place to another
- an event in which something is displaced without rotation
- a woman's sleeveless undergarment
- the act of changing one thing or position for another
- (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
- a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time
- the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters
- a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist
- the time period during which you are at work
- (historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.
- (music) In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.
- (computing) A control code or character used to change between different character sets.
- An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.
- (baseball) An infield shift.
- A movement to do something, a beginning.
- (construction) The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.
- (computing) An instance of the use of such a code or character.
- A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.
- (US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.
- A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means.
- Alternative spelling of Shift (“a modifier button of computer keyboards”).
- (British slang) be done; ruined
- (Ireland, crude slang, often with the definite article, usually uncountable) The act of kissing passionately.
- (genetics) A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine.
- A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time.
- (mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.
- (computing) A bit shift.