ENGLISH
REFERENCE

amplify

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈæmpɫəˌfaɪ// UK //ˈæmplɪfˌaɪ// am·pli·fy

v. to make something louder or stronger. You can use it for sounds or for making an idea more powerful.

v. to increase the volume of a sound or the intensity of an effect; to expand on a statement with more detail.


SIMPLE

The speakers amplify the sound of the guitar.

CONTEXTUAL

Social media can quickly amplify a small rumor until it becomes a major news story.

COMPLEX

The author uses vivid imagery to amplify the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist throughout the novel's final chapters.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English amplifiyen, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificare (“to enlarge”), from amplus (“large”) + facere (“to make”). See ample , equivalent to ample + -ify.

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

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