| Main Entry: |
step up
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | accelerate |
| Synonyms: | augment, boost, escalate, hasten, hurry, improve, increase, intensify, lift, quicken, raise, shake up, speed, speed up, up |
| Antonyms: | decelerate, halt, hinder, slow |
| Main Entry: | add |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adjoin, increase; make further comment |
| Synonyms: | affix, annex, ante, append, augment, beef up, boost, build up, charge up, continue, cue in, figure in, flesh out, heat up, hike, hike up, hitch on, hook on, hook up with, include, jack up, jazz up, join together, pad, parlay, piggyback, plug into, pour it on, reply, run up, say further, slap on, snowball, soup up, speed up, spike, step up, supplement, sweeten, tack on, tag |
| Notes: | ad is short for advertisement while add means 'to join or unite' so as to increase in size, quantity, quality, or scope |
| Antonyms: | decrease, deduct, diminish, lessen, reduce, remove, withdraw |
| Main Entry: | ameliorate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make, become better |
| Synonyms: | alleviate, amend, help, improve, lighten, meliorate, mitigate, relieve, step up, upgrade |
| Antonyms: | worsen |
| Main Entry: | buttress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support, bolster |
| Synonyms: | back up, beef up, brace, build up, bulwark, carry, jack up, jazz up, prop, reinforce, shore, step up, strengthen, sustain, uphold |
| Antonyms: | let down, weaken |
| Main Entry: | enrich |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | improve, embellish |
| Synonyms: | adorn, aggrandize, ameliorate, augment, beef up, better, build, build up, cultivate, decorate, develop, endow, enhance, figure in, flesh out, grace, hike up, hop up, jack up, jazz up, make rich, ornament, pad, parlay, pour it on, pyramid, refine, run up, soup up, spike*, step up, supplement, sweeten, up*, upgrade |
| Antonyms: | decrease, deplete, impoverish, reduce, take |
| Main Entry: | escalate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase, be increased |
| Synonyms: | amplify, ascend, broaden, climb, enlarge, expand, extend, grow, heighten, intensify, magnify, make worse, mount, raise, rise, scale, step up, widen |
| Antonyms: | decrease, diminish, lessen, lower, weaken |
| Main Entry: | fortify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make strong and secure; add to |
| Synonyms: | brace, build up, bulwark, buttress, charge up, consolidate, embattle, entrench, garrison, gird, prepare, prop, protect, punch up, ready, reinforce, secure, shore up, soup up, steel*, step up, strengthen, support |
| Antonyms: | decrease, hurt, injure, weaken |
| Main Entry: | hasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | speed something; hurry |
| Synonyms: | accelerate, advance, bolt, bound, burn, bustle, clip, cover ground, dash, dispatch, expedite, express, flee, fly, gallop, get cracking, get the lead out, goad, haste, hie, hustle, leap, make haste, make tracks, move quickly, not lose a minute, pace, plunge, precipitate, press, push, quicken, race, run, rush, scamper, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shake a leg, skip, sprint, spurt, step on it, step up, take wing, tear, trot, urge, waste no time, whip around |
| Notes: | haste is overly eager speed while hasten is to act or move at high speed |
| Antonyms: | go slow, lag, linger, loiter, procrastinate, rest, tarry |