augment
Americanverb (used with object)
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augments,
present (3rd person singular)
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augmented,
past participle, past
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augmenting
present participle
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to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase.
His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.
- Synonyms:
- swell
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Music.
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to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step.
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to double the note values of (a theme).
In the fugue's development the subject is augmented.
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Grammar. to add an augment to.
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Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms).
verb (used without object)
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augments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
augmented,
past participle, past
-
augmenting
present participle
noun
verb
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to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc; increase
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(tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone Compare diminish
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(tr) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) to prefix a vowel or diphthong to (a verb) to form a past tense
noun
Usage
What does augment mean? To augment something is to add to it in a way that makes it bigger or better. The general sense of augment is used in a variety of contexts where something is literally or figuratively increased in size, number, shape, value, or in some other way. A person might augment their salary with an additional source of income. A material like metal might be augmented to make it stronger. A teacher might augment a course’s textbook with additional learning materials. The noun augmentation refers to the process of augmenting something or the thing that augments. Things that augment or things that are intended to augment can be described as augmentative. A machine or device can be described as augmentable when other parts can be added to it to improve it in some way or give it additional functionality. Augment is also used in much more specific ways in the context of music and grammar, but its general sense is much more commonly used. Example: We recently augmented our nonfiction collection with many new titles by authors from marginalized communities.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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augmentsimple
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augmentssimple
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have augmentedperfect
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has augmentedperfect
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am augmentingprogressive
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are augmentingprogressive
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is augmentingprogressive
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have been augmentingperfect progressive
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has been augmentingperfect progressive
Past
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augmentedsimple
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had augmentedperfect
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was augmentingprogressive
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were augmentingprogressive
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had been augmentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of augment
First recorded in 1375–1475; late Middle English au(g)menten, from Anglo-French, Middle French au(g)menter, from Late Latin augmentāre “to increase,” derivative of augmentum “an increase,” from aug(ēre) “to increase” (akin to eke 1 ) + -mentum -ment )
Explanation
Do you need to make something bigger, better, or stronger? Then you need to augment it. To augment is to increase the amount or strength of something. Maybe your bike isn't getting around very well on hills: the bike needs to be augmented with a better set of tires. People augment their computers and phones all the time, adding new gadgets and apps. They augment the storage space in their cars by buying roof racks. If the President decides to augment taxes, taxes are going up. When you see the word augment, think "More!"
Vocabulary lists containing augment
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And if you have $40,000, you could still guarantee a portion of it to augment your lifestyle above Social Security.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
"This study follows our recent development of the drug candidate GHP-88310. It demonstrates that the drug is suitable to augment traditional ring vaccination against measles."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department was working Tuesday to get approval from the state to augment staffing and pre-deploy resources, said Mike Gray, a public information officer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
When it steps outside its own borders, the country’s idealism can often augment its realism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Howard wanted some mature horses to augment his fleet of juveniles.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Despite the market’s concerns about the longevity of the current chip boom, Samsung still forecasts a major supply-demand deficit to persist into 2027, as growth in agentic AI augments the huge buildout of AI infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Everlab’s platform ingests and organizes documents and data from doctors, specialists and pathologists, compiling patient records that it augments with real-time data from users’ existing wearable devices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
But if AI primarily augments tasks rather than replaces jobs, this approach misses the mark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Villavicencio said she augments her benefits by collecting donated food at her son’s school twice a month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2025
“That’s amazing. My mother says they’re superhuman. Their second operation augments all their muscles and rewires their nervous system. And they’re so scary-looking, a lot of people just panic the first time they see one.”
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Adapted for TV: There will be the use of augmented reality, athlete headshots, win probabilities and projected finishing positions to develop viewer experience.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
But the White House, nine days into Mr. Trump’s second term, explained that the drones were licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration for research and that local drone hobbyists had augmented the airborne fleet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Its Irish operations also include a virtual and augmented reality business in Cork and a data centre outside Dublin.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Snap, which unveiled more powerful $2,195 augmented reality glasses this year, sold glasses that record video in bright yellow vending machines in 2016, but the product flopped.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
You must know your major, minor, augmented and diminished triads.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Preservation was part of the conversation when the two connected, but both were also focused on revitalization and augmenting the structure’s old-world charms with something fresh and modern.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026
Over the past several years, Uber has teamed up with at least 21 companies to work on augmenting its business with autonomous cars, trucks and delivery robots.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 20, 2026
His primary focus now, he says, is not on politics but on AI, which he has said is “like electrical current-invisible and augmenting almost every part of our lives.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025
Blessedly, Season 3 makes room for glimpses into the locals’ lives beyond the hotel, augmenting the personal stakes for workers beyond the usual administrative staff whose prickliness co-stars in previous seasons.
From Salon ● Feb. 16, 2025
Diminishing and augmenting chords Wagner may have made his own, but they are all over Liszt’s daring, dark harmony.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
