amplify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make larger, greater, or stronger; enlarge; extend.
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to expand in stating or describing, as by details or illustrations; clarify by expanding.
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Electricity. to increase the amplitude of; cause amplification in.
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Archaic. to exaggerate.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to increase in size, extent, effect, etc, as by the addition of extra material; augment; enlarge; expand
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electronics to produce amplification of (electrical signals); increase the amplitude of (signals)
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(tr) to exaggerate
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(intr) to expand or enlarge a speech, narrative, etc
Other Word Forms
- amplifiable adjective
- overamplify verb
- unamplifiable adjective
- unamplified adjective
Etymology
Origin of amplify
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English amplifyen, from Middle French amplifier, from Latin amplificāre “to increase, augment”; equivalent to ample + -ify
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.
State media amplify this support showing nightly gatherings of loyal supporters across Iran.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
It’s a chance, she says, to amplify the play’s wackiness, which she believes helps puts audiences at ease and makes its difficult subject matter easier to digest.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Fatemeh Mohajerani, a government spokeswoman, said last week an exception was made to allow internet access “for those who can amplify the country’s voice to the world.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Saylor said the aim for Strategy’s stock is to amplify bitcoin’s value, meaning it should fall faster when bitcoin drops, and rise faster when bitcoin advances.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
When a. filovirus begins to amplify itself in a human being, the incubation period is from three to eighteen days, while the number of virus particles climbs steadily in the bloodstream.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
