Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To make larger or more powerful; increase.
- v. To add to, as by illustrations; make complete.
- v. To exaggerate.
- v. To produce amplification of: amplify an electrical signal.
- v. To write or discourse at length; expatiate: Let me amplify so that you will understand the overall problem.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To make large or larger in volume, extent, capacity, amount, importance, etc.; enlarge or make more ample.
- To expand in stating or describing; treat copiously, so as to present in every point of view and in the strongest lights.
- Synonyms To expand, develop, extend, dilate, magnify.
- . To grow or become ample or more ample.
- To discourse more at length; speak largely or copiously; be diffuse in argument or description; expatiate; dilate: commonly with on or upon before an object: as, to amplify on the several topics of discourse.
Wiktionary
- v. transitive To render larger, more extended, or more intense, and the like;—used especially of loudspeakers, telescopes, microscopes, etc.
- v. transitive, rhetorical To enlarge by addition or discussion; to treat copiously by adding particulars, illustrations, etc.; to expand; to make much of.
- v. transitive To increase the amplitude of something, especially of an electric current.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To render larger, more extended, or more intense, and the like; -- used especially of telescopes, microscopes, etc.
- v. (Rhet.) To enlarge by addition or discussion; to treat copiously by adding particulars, illustrations, etc.; to expand; to make much of.
- v. obsolete To become larger.
- v. To speak largely or copiously; to be diffuse in argument or description; to dilate; to expatiate; -- often with
on orupon .
WordNet 3.0
- v. increase in size, volume or significance
- v. to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth
- v. exaggerate or make bigger
- v. increase the volume of
Etymologies
- From Middle English amplifyen, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificare ("to enlarge"), from amplus ("large") + facere ("to make"). See ample. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English amplifien, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificāre : amplus, large + -ficāre, -fy. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The psychological effects of pain amplify the trauma, contributing to depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and suicide.”
“Their calls amplify what had been voices on the fringes calling for a fundamental redesign of the nation's financial system.”
The Huffington Post: Another Top Fed Official Calls For U.S. To Break Up Megabanks
“ZAHN: Jack, I think you raise an interesting point that Bob could probably amplify, which is all the speculation about how long this commitment will be.”
“But Rauf also said that the media attention the project has attracted was necessary to "amplify" the voice of moderate Muslims.”
“Candidates routinely tap famous surrogates -- including generals, celebrities, experts and kamikaze politicians -- to attack their opponents, defend their honor and "amplify" their messages to the media.”
“He also said that the fact that GE feels the need to join the program could "amplify" that the credit market remains under stress.”
“But some of this tropical moisture is going to get wrapped up here and kind of amplify the situation.”
“Let me just say, to kind of amplify this, there are some specific things that I hope we will do to show that we're acting in good faith.”
“So, just to kind of amplify the zero-sum proposition that Madeleine has indicated, it is very much in the interests of the United States, in the interests of the world, for the greatness of the Russian people and for Russian strength to be recognized, to be enhanced, and to be part of the overall European undivided peaceful security structure that we're trying to build.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘amplify’.
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SCIE - EU nomenclature
All the scientific words found in the official EU nomenclature. For the screening I used Vocabgrabber of the Visual Thesaurus.
abdominal, absorbent, accelerator, accumulator, acebutolol, acetamide, acetanilide, acetate, acetic acid, acetone, acetous, acetyl and 1171 more...
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
veal, valve, used, yak, wax, wan, teak, vat, vas, strip, use, strap and 4515 more...
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EN - eloquence in public speaking
Key words from "The Training of a Public Speaker" by Grenville Kleiser (New York and London, 1920)
beget, imago, approbation, orator, peroration, Cicero, eloquence, elocution, rhetoric, premeditate, plead, Isocrates and 264 more...
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MUSIC - jazz
funky, pedal, bebop, rap, mix, sub, mid, rag, ECM, bpm, bop, Afro and 437 more...
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GRE
predilection, explicit, appeal, supplication, appealing, enchanting, ovation, pertinent, apropos, opportunely, applicable, germane and 381 more...
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Words for financial performance
Business and financial journalists tend to use the same tired few words to describe what happens to economies, markets and prices. Enough of grow, soar, boom, crash, bust, collapse and so on. Let's...
swell, inflate, dilate, mount, accrue, magnify, amplify, blossom, fatten up, dwindle, dissipate, shrivel and 31 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, A
abaculus, abacus, abaft, abarticular, abbreviate, abeyance, abiding, anthocyanin, antemeridian, arcane, adjure, adduce and 418 more...
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SAT Vocab
Redundant.
problematic, proclivity, prodigal, prodigious, prodigy, profane, profligate, profound, profusion, proliferation, prolific, prologue and 455 more...
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GRE
Taisha GRE Bible
archaic, archetype, archipelago, architect, archive, arctic, ardor, arduous, argot, arid, armory, arrest and 289 more...
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Revised GRE Wordlist_2013
Vocabulary building for my quest of GRE 2013
ephemeral, esoteric, rhetoric, censure, egregious, pittance, dupe, mulct, paucity, alacrity, maintain, laconic and 997 more...
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Some new Wordie words this week
Don't tell them they are not real--they might cry.
glover, breakfront, submaximal, criticality, lanoline, mouthy, botheration, metaphorically, metaphase, disavowal, arum, ostentatiously and 162 more...
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worddom
put words in their place
theca, wisdom, kingdom, freedom, boredom, seldom, martyrdom, abdomen, doom, samhita, duma, dumka and 151 more...
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No Comeuppance!
comeuppance, ersatz, mensuration, felicitous, puissant, coccyx, groin vault, jactitation, titivate, crapulous, bibulous, lucubration and 116 more...
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ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
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GRE Words
abacus, abate, abdicate, abdomen, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abide, abjure, abraded, abrasion, abrogate and 198 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for amplify.

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