Lately, I've been letting my English go. It seems I'll never improve at it, no matter how many years I study.
Source: tatoeba (24458)
Improve
/ɪmˈpɹuːv/
Synonyms for "improve" (501 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (101)
Verb(29 words)
ameliorateamendbetterenhancemeliorateadvanceamelioratedamelioratesannealaprimorate (non-native speakers’ english (chiefly portuguese))augmentaugmentedbattenbeautifybetteredboostboost motor speedboost team spiritbrightenbuffed
Show 9 more words
build a skillbuild upburnishedcatalysecivilize institutionscivilize mannersclear up confusioncondition the soilconvalesces
accommodateacculturateadaptadjustadvancealterameliorateamendapprenticebe changedbe converted intobe renewedbenefitbenefit frombestbetterboostbottom outbrace upbreak
Noun(24 words)
advancesaffect memoryamelioratingarts standards reformaugmentingautomobile gradebecome healthybeefsbenefitingbetteringbettersboost ecosystem vitalityboost readingboostingboostsbuffsbuildbuild school belongingburnishburnishing
Show 4 more words
civilize through educationclass progresscompetence increasecomponent upgrade
Adjective(4 words)
Strong matches (150)
correctcrownculminatecultivatedeformdegeneratedenaturedeterioratedevelopdeviatedignifydisciplinedivergediversifydo to perfectiondrilleaseedifyediteducate
Show 58 more words
elevateembellishemendenhanceenlightenenrichexceedexcelexerciseexploitfattenfavorfetch upfitfix upflopformforwardfosterfurthergaingain groundgain strengthget aheadget alongget bettergo aheadgo forwardgo one bettergo straightgraduategroomgrow betterhaul aroundhealheightenhelphouse-trainhousebreakillumeilluminateillumineimprove onimprove the occasionimprove uponincreaseirradiatejibelardlick into shapeliftlooklook upmake an improvementmake capital ofmake haymake headwaymake progress
Verb(34 words)
cultivatesdevelopdevelop mathematical abilitydevelop skillsdevelop speaking skillsdeveloping skilldivide and conquer dpedibilizeelevate discussionelevate standardsemendsenhance place value senseenhance reputationenhance team chemistryenhancesenrichedenrichesevolvefinessedfrost the cake
Show 14 more words
fructifiesgain a skillgainedget betterglamourizehoneimprovesincreaseincrease abilityincrease capabilityincrease environmental outputincrease outputlerlook up
Noun(32 words)
customer management functiondevelop language skillsdeveloped civilizationdeveloped culturesdeveloped language skillsdevelopment programdrinking water qualitydutch constitutional reformsecological recovery trendefficiency programegtkelaborate materialselevated surfaceengagement riseenhancingenrichingequipment upgradeevolvingfrench revolution reformsfuel economy passenger vehicle
Adjective(6 words)
Related words (250)
make stridesmake the most ofmaturemaximizemelioratemendmitigatemodernizemodifymodulatemutatenursenurtureoutweighoverbalanceoverbearovercomeoverhauloverpassoverthrow
Show 115 more words
overtopperfectperk uppickpick uppolishpracticepredominatepreparepreponderateprevailprofitprofit byprogresspromotepullput in tuneput rightput to advantageput to schoolqualifyraiserallyre createre-createreadyrealignrearrebuildreconditionreconstructrecoverrecruitrectifyrecuperateredeemredesignredressrefinerefine uponrefitreformrefurbishrehabilitaterehearseremakeremedyremodelrenewrenovaterepairreshaperestorerestructureretouchrevampreviserevivering the changesripenrub upsend to schoolset rightshapeshape upshiftshift the sceneshow improvementshuffle the cardsskyrocketsleep it offsocializestepstraighten outstrengthensubvertsurpassswervetacktake a turntake advantage oftake in handtake offtoptouch uptower abovetower overtrade ontraintranscendtransfiguretransformtrumpturnturn asideturn intoturn over a new leafturn the cornerturn the scaleturn the tablesturn the tideturn to accountturn to profitturn to useturn upside downundergo a changeupdateupgradeupliftuse to advantagevaryveerwarpwork a changeworsen
Adjective(9 words)
mature culturemature studentpolishedpolished top surfacepublic health improvingsophisticatedtransformed stateupturnedusable design
Noun(66 words)
maxesmaximizingmaxingmendingmore developedmore physically fitmost progressedmunicipal water system upgradeohg mendan 'to mend'peaceful reformperfectingperfectspolishpolish historiapolish kontynentpolish kryminalnypolish kulturapolish languagepolish politycznypolish polityka
Show 46 more words
polish solidarnośćpolish uppolish wodapolish zeropolishingportuguese polidoprivately developedprogress in scienceprogress toward civilityprogressive learning sequenceproofreadingprosperingreboundingrefine methodrefiningreformingreformsrevolutionize student engagementrise in statussalvagingscience fair designsharpeningskillssoftware upgrade changespeaking progressstudy skills developmentsuperchargessystem optimization changetech revolutionizingtest reviewthawstheory changetop conditionupgradesupgradinguplift communityuplift programupliftingupliftsupscaleupturningupturnsupward movevideo streaming evolutionwhettingwork capacities
Verb(37 words)
maximize productionmaximizedmaximizesmendsoptimiseoptimizeoptimizedoptimizesperfectedpolish dyscyplinapolish metalpolish shoespotentiateprogressedprogressingpuddledrecoverrecoversrecuperatesrefine
Show 17 more words
refine techniquerefinedrefinesreformulatedrespondrespondedsanctifiessmartenstrengthensweetensweeten with sugarsweetensupgradeupgrade hardwareupgradedupliftedweatherized
Adverb(2 words)
more civil progressesmost eco friendly holiday
Determiner(1 words)
more living
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, meliorate.
- enhance: 'Enhance' suggests adding something that was already good, it's about elevation, not fixing flaws.
- Sentence evidence is available for improve, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "improve".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "improve"
Keep "improve" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "improve" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "improve", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "improve" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
How these synonyms differ
- enhance - 'Enhance' suggests adding something that was already good, it's about elevation, not fixing flaws.
- refine - 'Refine' implies careful, iterative polishing, removing impurities or rough edges to approach perfection.
- strengthen - 'Strengthen' focuses specifically on making something more resilient or powerful, not better in all dimensions.
- upgrade - 'Upgrade' implies a discrete jump to a higher tier, new hardware, a better plan, a superior version.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
9 entriesCollocations
6 entriesimprove classroom behaviorimprove handwritingimprove math skillsimprove reading skillsimprove study habitsimprove test scores
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
4 entriesSample sentences
25 total sentences available.
It seems that the purpose of his study abroad was to improve his ability to speak English.
Source: tatoeba (26185)
Try to speak English as often as possible if you want to improve your English.
Source: tatoeba (26341)
Try to improve your English.
Source: tatoeba (26386)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "improve"?
Closest matches include ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, meliorate.
How is "enhance" different from "improve"?
'Enhance' suggests adding something that was already good, it's about elevation, not fixing flaws.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "improve"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.