| Main Entry: | intensify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make more forceful, severe |
Synonyms: |
accent, accentuate, add fuel, add to, aggrandize, aggravate, augment, beef up, boost, brighten, build up, concentrate, darken, deepen, emphasize, enhance, escalate, exacerbate, exalt, heat up, heighten, increase, intensate, lighten, magnify, point, pour it on, quicken, raise, redouble, reinforce, rise, rouse, set off, sharpen, spike*, step up, strengthen, stress, tone up, whet |
Antonyms: |
calm, lower, slow, soothe, weaken |
| Main Entry: | accent |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | place emphasis, importance |
Synonyms: |
accentuate, draw attention to, emphasize, highlight, intensify, stress, underline, underscore |
Antonyms: |
disacknowledge, minimize |
| Main Entry: | aggrandize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause something to seem or be greater, bigger |
Synonyms: |
acclaim, applaud, augment, beef up, boost, commend, dignify, distinguish, enlarge, ennoble, expand, extend, glorify, heighten, hike, hike up, honor, hype, increase, intensify, jack up, jump, magnify, multiply, parlay, praise |
Antonyms: |
belittle, debase, degrade, depress, disgrace, humble, lower |
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
Synonyms: |
complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
Antonyms: |
alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | amplify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase in size or effect |
Synonyms: |
add, augment, beef up, boost, build up, deepen, develop, elaborate, enlarge, exaggerate, expand, expatiate, extend, flesh out, heighten, hike up, inflate, intensify, jack up, lengthen, magnify, pad, pyramid, raise, soup up, strengthen, stretch, supplement, swell, up, widen |
Antonyms: |
abridge, compress, condense, contract, curtail, decrease, lessen, reduce, shorten, summarize |
| Main Entry: | augment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make greater; improve |
Synonyms: |
add to, aggrandize, amplify, beef up, boost, build, build up, compound, develop, enhance, enlarge, expand, extend, grow, heighten, increase, inflate, intensify, magnify, mount, multiply, pad, piggyback, progress, raise, reinforce, strengthen, sweeten, swell, tag on |
Antonyms: |
decrease, degrade |
| Main Entry: | boom |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prosper |
Synonyms: |
appreciate, bloom, develop, enhance, expand, flourish, flower, gain, grow, increase, intensify, rise in value, spurt, strengthen, succeed, swell, thrive |
Antonyms: |
collapse, fail, falter, lose |
| Main Entry: | brighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make shine or glow |
Synonyms: |
buff up, burnish, clear up, enliven, gleam, grow sunny, illuminate, illumine, intensify, kindle, light up, lighten, polish, punch up, spiff up |
Antonyms: |
darken, deepen, dull, fade |
| Main Entry: | build |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase, accelerate |
Synonyms: |
aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, compound, develop, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, improve, intensify, magnify, mount, multiply, strengthen, swell, wax |
Antonyms: |
decelerate, decrease, destroy, ruin |
| Main Entry: | build up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | amplify, advertise |
Synonyms: |
add to, boost, develop, enhance, expand, extend, fortify, heighten, hype, improve, increase, intensify, plug*, promote, publicize, puff, reinforce, spotlight, strengthen |
Antonyms: |
lessen, let down, play down, weaken |