Related Searches
Nearby Words
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make more forceful, severe |
| Synonyms: | accent, accentuate, add fuel, add to, aggrandize, aggravate, augment, beef up, boost, brighten, build up, concentrate, darken, deepen, emphasize, enhance, escalate, exacerbate, exalt, heat up, heighten, increase, intensate, lighten, magnify, point, pour it on, quicken, raise, redouble, reinforce, rise, rouse, set off, sharpen, spike*, step up, strengthen, stress, tone up, whet |
| Antonyms: | calm, lower, slow, soothe, weaken |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | aggrandize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause something to seem or be greater, bigger |
| Synonyms: | acclaim, applaud, augment, beef up, boost, commend, dignify, distinguish, enlarge, ennoble, expand, extend, glorify, heighten, hike, hike up, honor, hype, increase, intensify, jack up, jump, magnify, multiply, parlay, praise |
| Antonyms: | belittle, debase, degrade, depress, disgrace, humble, lower |
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
| Synonyms: | complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | amplify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase in size or effect |
| Synonyms: | add, augment, beef up, boost, build up, deepen, develop, elaborate, enlarge, exaggerate, expand, expatiate, extend, flesh out, heighten, hike up, inflate, intensify, jack up, lengthen, magnify, pad, pyramid, raise, soup up, strengthen, stretch, supplement, swell, up, widen |
| Antonyms: | abridge, compress, condense, contract, curtail, decrease, lessen, reduce, shorten, summarize |
| Main Entry: | augment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make greater; improve |
| Synonyms: | add to, aggrandize, amplify, beef up, boost, build, build up, compound, develop, enhance, enlarge, expand, extend, grow, heighten, increase, inflate, intensify, magnify, mount, multiply, pad, piggyback, progress, raise, reinforce, strengthen, sweeten, swell, tag on |
| Notes: | augment means to add more of the same thing; supplement means to add something, usually to make up for a deficiency |
| Antonyms: | decrease, degrade |
| Main Entry: | boom |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prosper |
| Synonyms: | appreciate, bloom, develop, enhance, expand, flourish, flower, gain, grow, increase, intensify, rise in value, spurt, strengthen, succeed, swell, thrive |
| Antonyms: | collapse, fail, falter, lose |
| Main Entry: | brighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make shine or glow |
| Synonyms: | buff up, burnish, clear up, enliven, gleam, grow sunny, illuminate, illumine, intensify, kindle, light up, lighten, polish, punch up, spiff up |
| Antonyms: | darken, deepen, dull, fade |
| Main Entry: | build |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase, accelerate |
| Synonyms: | aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, compound, develop, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, improve, intensify, magnify, mount, multiply, strengthen, swell, wax |
| Notes: | billed is having a beak or having been presented a statement of costs or charges, while build is to construct |
| Antonyms: | decelerate, decrease, destroy, ruin |
| Main Entry: | build up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | amplify, advertise |
| Synonyms: | add to, boost, develop, enhance, expand, extend, fortify, heighten, hype, improve, increase, intensify, plug*, promote, publicize, puff, reinforce, spotlight, strengthen |
| Antonyms: | lessen, let down, play down, weaken |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
