ameliorate
5 antonyms for ameliorate — opposites grouped by meaning.
Verb — To make a bad or unpleasant situation better, or less severe.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb formal
To make a bad or unpleasant situation better, or less severe.
“The grant was meant to ameliorate the worst effects of the closures.”
Opposites
2. verb formal
To become better; to improve.
“Conditions in the camp slowly ameliorated over the winter.”
Opposites
Antonyms
How to use ameliorate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ameliorate the effects
ameliorate conditions
ameliorate the impact
do little to ameliorate
Formal; strongly associated with policy, academic and legal writing.
Etymology
From Latin melior 'better', via French améliorer.
Full origin of ameliorate →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ameliorate and alleviate?
Alleviate is about lessening something painful, such as suffering, pressure or symptoms, and leaves the underlying problem in place. Ameliorate is broader and suggests genuinely improving a bad situation, not just softening how it feels.
What is the difference between ameliorate and improve?
Improve is the everyday word and can apply to anything, good or bad. Ameliorate is formal and needs a negative starting point: you ameliorate hardship or overcrowding, but you improve your handwriting.
Is ameliorate too formal for everyday writing?
Often, yes. It is at home in policy documents, academic writing and legal prose, but in ordinary writing 'improve' or 'ease' will usually read better.
