Ameliorate
/əˈmiːliəˌreɪt/
verbC1
Definition
Ameliorate means to improve something that is not good or to make a problem less serious. It is often used when talking about fixing difficult situations or conditions, like pain, problems, or bad feelings.
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See It in Action
To make a difficult or bad situation better
- •The government tried to ameliorate the effects of the economic crisis.
- •New policies were introduced to ameliorate the living conditions in the city.
- •Medicine helped ameliorate her symptoms quickly.
To improve a problem or negative feeling
- •The teacher’s kind words ameliorated the student’s anxiety.
- •Efforts to ameliorate pollution have shown some success.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "ameliorate" like "help," but more formal and focused on making things better, not just small help
- ✓Picture a doctor giving medicine that makes a patient’s pain less strong
- ✓It's the feeling when a hard situation starts to get easier or more comfortable
- ✓Sounds like "a-MEAL-ior-ate" → imagine giving someone a nice meal to make them feel better when they are sick
- ✓In stories, heroes often try to ameliorate the troubles of others by solving big problems
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (do nothing), ameliorate means taking action to improve something
- ✓NOT like "fix" (which means to completely repair), ameliorate can mean making something better but not perfect
- ✓NOT like "worsen" (make worse), ameliorate always means improving or lessening harm
Try Other Words
- •Improve: to make better (Use in everyday situations with general meaning)
- •Ease: to make less painful or difficult (Use when talking about reducing pain or stress)
- •Relieve: to reduce or remove pain or difficulty (Use when the problem is lessened but not fixed)
- •Better: to make something more good (Use as a simple alternative in many contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "a-" (to, toward) + root "melior" (better) + suffix "-ate" (verb form)
- •Etymology: From Latin "meliorare," meaning "to make better," based on "melior" meaning "better"
- •Historical development: Entered English in the 17th century as a formal word meaning to improve or make better
- •Modern usage: Used in formal or academic language when talking about improving problems or conditions, especially serious ones
Reflect & Connect
•In what situations is it important to try to ameliorate a problem instead of ignoring it?
•How can small actions help ameliorate larger social or personal issues in everyday life?
Fill in the blanks
1.The new law was created to ameliorate the problems caused by ___ in the community.
2.When people are sick, doctors try to ameliorate their symptoms by ___ the pain.
3.Unlike ignoring the issue, to ameliorate means to ___ the situation actively.
4.The charity’s work helped ameliorate the ___ of homeless families.
5.To ameliorate stress, many people find ___ like meditation or exercise helpful.
6.Ameliorate is often used in formal talks about ___ or social problems.
7.When a problem is too big to fix completely, we try to ___ it instead.