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)
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to discourse at length; expatiate or expand one's remarks, speech, etc. (usually followed byon ).
The preacher amplified on the theme of brotherly love.
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.
He is not easily categorized as a political actor, and that ambiguity is precisely what makes him so difficult to pin down — and so easy to amplify.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Algorithms amplify content based on engagement -- and engagement is often driven by sensationalism, outrage and misinformation.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
But in a worst-case, albeit remote, scenario, the federal government can amplify rather than absorb shocks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Private credit by its nature has less visibility than public markets, which can amplify uncertainty when issues arise.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
In theory, it could amplify itself around the world in the human species.
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.