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ameliorate [əˈmiːljəˌreɪt]vb to make or become better; improve [from meliorate, influenced by French améliorer to improve, from Old French ameillorer to make better, from meillor better, from Latin melior] ameliorable [əˈmiːljərəbəl] adj ameliorant n ameliorative adj ameliorator nUsage: Ameliorate is often wrongly used where alleviate is meant. Ameliorate is properly used to mean `improve', not `make easier to bear', so one should talk about alleviating pain or hardship, not ameliorating it
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | ameliorate - to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his changes"aid, help - improve the condition of; "These pills will help the patient" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" enrich - make better or improve in quality; "The experience enriched her understanding"; "enriched foods" build up, develop - change the use of and make available or usable; "develop land"; "The country developed its natural resources"; "The remote areas of the country were gradually built up" turn around - improve dramatically; "The new strategy turned around sales"; "The tutor turned around my son's performance in math" help - improve; change for the better; "New slipcovers will help the old living room furniture" upgrade - to improve what was old or outdated; "I've upgraded my computer so I can run better software"; "The company upgraded their personnel" condition - put into a better state; "he conditions old cars" emend - make improvements or corrections to; "the text was emended in the second edition" enhance - make better or more attractive; "This sauce will enhance the flavor of the meat" reform - make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices; "reform a political system" reform - improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition; "reform the health system in this country" build - improve the cleansing action of; "build detergents" perfect, hone - make perfect or complete; "perfect your French in Paris!" distill, make pure, purify, sublimate - remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation; "purify the water" fructify - make productive or fruitful; "The earth that he fructified" lift, raise - invigorate or heighten; "lift my spirits"; "lift his ego" advance - develop further; "We are advancing technology every day" upgrade - give better travel conditions to; "The airline upgraded me when I arrived late and Coach Class was full" educate - give an education to; "We must educate our youngsters better" | | 2. | ameliorate - get better; "The weather improved toward evening"heal - get healthy again; "The wound is healing slowly" change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election" surge - see one's performance improve; "He levelled the score and then surged ahead" turn around, pick up - improve significantly; go from bad to good; "Her performance in school picked up" heal, mend - heal or recover; "My broken leg is mending" fructify - become productive or fruitful; "The seeds fructified" upgrade - get better travel conditions; "I upgraded to First Class when Coach Class was overbooked" |
ameliorateverb improve, better, benefit, reform, advance, promote, amend, elevate, raise, mend, mitigate, make better, assuage, meliorate Nothing can be done to ameliorate the situation.Usage: Ameliorate is sometimes confused with alleviate but the words are not synonymous. Ameliorate comes ultimately from the Latin for `better', and means `to improve'. The nouns it typically goes with are condition, and situation. Alleviate means `to lessen', and frequently occurs with poverty, suffering, pain, symptoms, and effects. Occasionally ameliorate is used with effects and poverty where the other verb may be more appropriate.
Translations ameliorate [əˈmiːlɪəreɪt] ( frm) ameliorate [əˈmiːljəreɪt] vt (formal) [+ conditions, situation] → améliorer; [+ ill effects] → remédier Ã
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