augment

To make something larger or greater by adding to it.

• Extra work can augment your income.
• The hospital augmented its staff during the emergency.
• They plan to augment the water supply with a new well.

How to use it: augment something with something (They augmented their savings with money from weekend work.)

Similar words: increase, supplement, expand

Opposites: reduce, decrease

Common phrases: augment something, augment income, augment resources

To become larger or greater.

• Their numbers began to augment.
• The army’s strength augmented over the winter.
• The pressure may augment as the heat rises.

How to use it: augment in something (The force continued to augment in strength.)

Similar words: grow, increase

Opposites: shrink, decrease

Common phrases: augment in size, augment in strength

A sound added at the start of a verb in some languages to show past time.

• This Greek verb has an augment.
• The augment marks a past tense.
• Students identified the augments in the verb forms.

Common phrases: syllabic augment, past tense augment, the augment