verb
ameliorate
uh-MEEL-yuh-rayt
Ameliorate (verb) means to make a bad or unpleasant situation better, or less severe. Example: “The grant was meant to ameliorate the worst effects of the closures.”
verb
1
formal To make a bad or unpleasant situation better, or less severe.
"The grant was meant to ameliorate the worst effects of the closures."
"Nothing they did ameliorated the shortage."
2
formal To become better; to improve.
"Conditions in the camp slowly ameliorated over the winter."
How to use ameliorate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make a bad situation less bad.
When to use it
Formal; strongly associated with policy, academic and legal writing.
Memory tip
It needs something bad as its object. 'Ameliorate the crisis' works; 'ameliorate the party' does not.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
ameliorate the effects
ameliorate conditions
ameliorate the impact
do little to ameliorate
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The grant was meant to _____ the worst effects of the closures.
Etymology
From Latin melior 'better', via French améliorer.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for ameliorate
See all rhymes for 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.
What is the meaning of ameliorate?
"ameliorate" (verb) means to make a bad or unpleasant situation better, or less severe.
