Another word for improve
The best other words for improve are enhance, recover, cultivate and leverage.
- Most formal
- enhance, refine, amend
- Strongest
- strengthen, prosper, hone
- Casual
- better, mend, bounce back
- Instead of “significantly improve”
- greatly improve, substantially improve, markedly improve
Improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ (verb): to make something better or become better in quality, condition, or performance. In simple words: to make something better or to become better. Below are 26 rated synonyms across 4 senses, plus 32 more related words. Tap a chip for its nuance and an example.
27 synonyms shown
Make better · verb
increase the quality, value, or effectiveness of something
Get better · verb
become better over time, especially in health, skill, or condition
Improve skill · verb
become more skilled through practice or learning
Make better use · verb
use a situation, opportunity, or resource more effectively
Find the right strength and register
Drag the amber target to how strong and how formal you need the word to be. The three closest synonyms light up.
You asked for: equal strength, neutral register
- upgrade — suggests replacing with a newer or better version
- fine-tune — small, precise adjustments for better results
- enhance — slightly more formal; stresses added quality or value
The dashed ring marks “improve” itself: neutral strength, neutral register.
Synonyms for improve in your sentence
None of these quite right? Paste your sentence and the AI picks replacements that fit it.
How to choose
Use improve when you want the broad, neutral idea of getting better. Choose more specific synonyms for the kind of improvement you mean: refine for careful adjustments, optimize for efficiency, and recover or heal for returning to health or normal condition.
Antonyms of improve
- worsen
- decline
- deteriorate
- weaken
- damage
- degrade
- impair
- regress
All synonyms at a glance
| Synonym | Strength | Formality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| enhance | 3/5 | formal | academic, business |
| better | 3/5 | casual | casual, business |
| upgrade | 3/5 | neutral | business, casual |
| refine | 3/5 | formal | academic, business, creative |
| strengthen | 4/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| amend | 2/5 | formal | academic, business |
| fine-tune | 3/5 | neutral | business, creative, casual |
| recover | 3/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| progress | 3/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| develop | 3/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| mend | 2/5 | casual | casual, creative |
| heal | 2/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| bounce back | 3/5 | casual | casual, business |
| prosper | 4/5 | neutral | business, academic |
| polish | 3/5 | neutral | business, creative, casual |
| sharpen | 3/5 | neutral | academic, business, casual |
| hone | 4/5 | formal | academic, business, creative |
| cultivate | 3/5 | formal | academic, business, creative |
| build | 2/5 | casual | business, casual |
| advance | 3/5 | formal | academic, business |
| optimize | 4/5 | formal | academic, business |
| maximize | 4/5 | formal | academic, business |
| streamline | 4/5 | formal | business, academic |
| leverage | 3/5 | formal | business, academic |
| capitalize on | 3/5 | neutral | business, casual |
| squeeze more out of | 2/5 | slang | casual, business |
Instead of “very improve”
One precise word usually beats an intensifier. See the full words instead of “very” list.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| significantly improve | greatly improve, substantially improve, markedly improve |
| dramatically improve | greatly improve, vastly improve, sharply improve |
| continually improve | keep improving, keep getting better, improve steadily |
More words related to improve
Looser matches and phrases, unrated. Check the sense before you swap one in, or compare it with “improve”.
Questions about synonyms for improve
What is the most formal or academic synonym for improve?
Optimize is often the most technical choice when you mean making something as effective or efficient as possible. In academic and business writing, enhance and refine are also common, depending on whether you mean adding quality or making careful adjustments.
What is a stronger or milder synonym for improve?
Strengthen and maximize are generally stronger than improve because they suggest a bigger or more ambitious gain. Milder options include better and fine-tune, which sound more casual or more limited in scope.
Should I use improve or better?
Improve is the safer default in formal writing and sounds more standard. Better is common in speech and informal writing, but it can sound blunt or slightly less polished in edited prose.
What is another word for improve?
Common alternatives include "better," "enhance," "boost," and "raise." The best choice depends on whether you mean making something better, getting better yourself, or using something more effectively.
What can I say instead of improve my skills?
You can say "build skills," "strengthen skills," "practice more," or "get better at" something. "Polish" and "sharpen" also work when you mean making skills more exact or effective.