Definition
To amplify is to make larger or louder — to boost a signal until it dominates. From the Latin amplus, 'wide, abundant', it began as 'to enlarge' and now lives mostly in sound and influence: an amplifier swells a whisper into a roar; social media can amplify a rumor until it drowns out the truth. The word implies magnification of something already present, not creation from nothing. It is the active opposite of suppress, and can quietly turn a ripple into a surge.
Examples
- The microphone amplifies her voice so the whole hall can hear.
- Repeating a claim online can amplify it far beyond its original audience.
- Poor insulation amplifies the noise from the street below.
Collocations
amplify a signal·amplify the effect·greatly amplify·amplify concerns
Synonyms
magnify·intensify·boost·heighten·strengthen
Antonyms
suppress·dampen·diminish
Word family
amplification (noun)·amplifier (noun)
In TOEFL & IELTS
TOEFL physics and biology lectures use 'amplify' literally (amplifying sound, signals, or genetic material), while social-science passages use it figuratively — media that 'amplify' a message. In IELTS Writing, 'this only amplifies the problem' is a strong cause-and-effect verb. The noun 'amplification' is common in academic English. Contrast it with 'suppress' and 'dampen'.