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   improve

   /ɪmˈpruːv/

   verb

   • 1. make or become better: "efforts to improve relations between the countries" Similar make betterbetterameliorateupgraderefineenhanceboostbuild onhelpraiserevampbrush uppolish upperk uptweakinformal:give a facelift torare:meliorateget betterbecome betteradvanceprogressdevelopmake headwaycome alongmake progresstake steps forwardpick uprallyperk upmake stridesinformal:look upOpposite worsenimpairworsendeteriorate
   • ▪ develop or increase in mental capacity by education or experience: "I subscribed to two magazines to improve my mind"
   • ▪ achieve or produce something better than: "they are trying to improve on the tired old style"

   Word Origin early 16th century (as emprowe or improwe): from Anglo-Norman French emprower (based on Old French prou ‘profit’, ultimately from Latin prodest ‘is of advantage’); -owe was changed to -ove under the influence of prove. The original sense was ‘make a profit, increase the value of’; subsequently ‘make greater in amount or degree’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. improvability noun
   • 2. improvable adjective
   • 3. improver noun

   Scrabble Points: 14

   • I

     1

   • M

     3

   • P

     3

   • R

     1

   • O

     1

   • V

     4

   • E

     1

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