INDEX:
1. to become better
2. to make something better
3. to keep improving something until it is perfect
4. to add a good quality to something
5. when something improves
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ WORSE
see also
↑ GOOD
↑ BEST
↑ BETTER
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1. to become better
▷ get better /get ˈbetəʳ/ [verb phrase] especially spoken :
▪ I hope the weather gets better soon.
get a lot better
▪ The first part of the book is pretty boring, but it gets a lot better as the story goes on.
things get better
a situation gets better
▪ If things don’t get better, we may end up having to sell the house.
get better and better
continue to get better
▪ I don’t mind training hard, because you get better and better all the time.
▷ improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ [intransitive verb] especially written
to get better :
▪ In the weeks that followed, his health continued to improve.
▪ Some wines improve with age.
improve dramatically/greatly etc
▪ Conditions in prisons have improved dramatically in the last 20 years.
▷ catch up /ˌkætʃ ˈʌp/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to improve so that you reach the same standard as other people in your class, group etc :
▪ If you miss a lot of school, it will be very difficult to catch up.
catch up with
▪ Although she had never studied German before, Jane soon caught up with the others.
catch somebody up
▪ The other players in the team are better than me, but I’m slowly catching them up.
▷ pick up /ˌpɪk ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a business or economic situation picks up, it improves after a period without much business activity :
▪ Financial commentators think we’ll see the economy starting to pick up early next year.
▪ Sales were very slow in the first half of the year, but business is beginning to pick up now.
▷ things are looking up /ˌθɪŋz əːʳ ˌlʊkɪŋ ˈʌp/ spoken
say this when good things have started to happen to you, and your life seems much better than it was :
▪ Things are looking up - I’ve got a new job and a new boyfriend.
2. to make something better
▷ improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ [transitive verb]
to make something better :
▪ I wanted to improve my French, so I got a job in Paris.
▪ The funds will go towards improving road and rail services.
▪ By managing natural resources more effectively, our quality of human life could be improved greatly.
▷ make something better /ˌmeɪk something ˈbetəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to improve a situation or improve someone’s life :
▪ Instead of making the traffic situation better, the new road has just made things worse.
▪ You won’t make things any better by worrying about them.
▪ Have computers really made life better for everyone?
▷ make improvements /ˌmeɪk ɪmˈpruːvmənts/ [verb phrase]
to make changes to something or add things to it in order to make it better, more useful, or more effective :
▪ After we’ve made a few improvements, the software should be fine.
make improvements to
▪ Several improvements have been made to the original designs.
▪ They made a lot of improvements to the house after they moved in.
▷ knock something into shape British /whip something into shape especially American /ˌnɒk something ɪntə ˈʃeɪpǁˌnɑːk-, ˌwɪp something ɪntə ˈʃeɪp/ [verb phrase] informal
to make changes to something in order to make it good enough :
▪ We’ve only got one week left to knock the play into shape.
▪ The new Chief Executive is whipping the company into shape and making it more competitive.
▷ upgrade /ˌʌpˈgreɪd/ [transitive verb]
to improve something such as machinery, a building, or a system by making it more modern, effective, and successful :
▪ The city has recently spent $3 million on upgrading its sports stadium.
▪ It was decided that the entire computer system should be upgraded.
▪ Since July, the airport has upgraded security measures, at a cost of $560,000.
▷ streamline /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ [transitive verb]
to improve a system or process by making it more simple and therefore faster and more effective :
▪ The new system is an attempt to streamline the decision-making process.
▪ Apple is going to streamline its operations and concentrate development efforts on the Internet and multimedia.
streamlined [adjective]
▪ The IMF has adopted a streamlined procedure for doling out emergency loans.
▷ clean up /ˌkliːn ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to improve standards of behaviour in a place or organization, especially by removing dishonest or criminal people :
clean up something
▪ It’s time someone cleaned up this city; we have one of the highest crime rates in the country.
▪ Most clubs have made a big effort to clean up football’s image.
clean something up
▪ The management of some our prisons has sometimes been corrupt, and it is our job to clean it up.
▷ brush up (on) also brush up something British /ˌbrʌʃ ˈʌp ɒn, ˌbrʌʃ ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially spoken
to practise doing something that you have not done for a long time in order to try to improve it :
▪ I’d like to brush up on my Italian before our trip.
▪ Public libraries frequently have computers that people can use to brush up their IT skills.
3. to keep improving something until it is perfect
▷ perfect /pəʳˈfekt/ [transitive verb]
to improve something such as a skill, system, or something you have designed until you make it perfect :
▪ The best way to perfect your Spanish is to live in a country where it’s spoken.
▪ The Chief Executive of the company said that they had spent ten years on perfecting the product.
perfect the art/technique etc (of doing something)
▪ Dom Perignon perfected the art of blending wines from many different vineyards.
▷ refine /rɪˈfaɪn/ [transitive verb]
to make something as good as possible by checking it again and again and making small changes each time until you are satisfied :
▪ Volvo spent three years refining the design of their new car.
▪ It was a four week course, aimed at refining our understanding of the managerial role.
refinement [countable noun]
▪ The new proposal is basically a refinement of an earlier scheme.
▷ fine-tune /ˌfaɪn ˈtjuːnǁ-ˈtuːn/ [transitive verb]
to make small changes to a plan or system that is already good, so that it works as well as possible :
▪ You’ve established the general direction you want to go in, now you need to fine-tune your plans.
▪ The election campaign had to be constantly fine-tuned so that the right message got across.
fine-tuning [uncountable noun]
▪ We have developed an efficient banking service, but there is scope for further fine-tuning of the system.
4. to add a good quality to something
▷ enhance /ɪnˈhɑːnsǁɪnˈhæns/ [transitive verb not usually in progressive]
to make a good quality in something even more attractive, enjoyable etc :
▪ You can enhance the flavour of most dishes with the careful use of herbs.
▪ Low lighting and soft music enhanced the atmosphere in the room.
▷ enrich /ɪnˈrɪtʃ/ [transitive verb not usually in progressive]
to add a quality that makes something much more interesting, valuable etc :
▪ People who have fame and money usually search for something else to enrich their lives.
▪ Most people agree that immigrant communities enrich our culture.
▷ make /meɪk/ [transitive verb not in progressive or passive] informal
to provide the special quality that makes something completely enjoyable, attractive, or successful :
▪ The right curtains can make a room.
▪ For me, the trip to Caracas made the holiday.
5. when something improves
▷ improvement /ɪmˈpruːvmənt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a change that makes something better :
▪ I’m afraid if you don’t show some improvement soon we won’t be entering you for the exam.
▪ You’ll see that there’s been a remarkable improvement in recent weeks.
improvement in
▪ Have you noticed any improvement in his work?
▪ Accidents have become less frequent, thanks to recent improvements in our safety checks.
a big/great/tremendous improvement
▪ There’s been a great improvement in the team’s performance over the last three games.
improvement to
▪ We had to borrow money to pay for all the improvements to our home.
design/home/performance etc improvements
▪ Design improvements in the computer system have greatly increased our efficiency.
▷ advance /ədˈvɑːnsǁədˈvæns/ [countable noun usually plural]
an important new idea or way of doing something, especially in science :
advance in
▪ Advances in medical science may make it possible for people to live for 150 years.
a big/enormous/major advance
▪ The last 20 years have seen enormous advances in communications technology.