ameliorate | Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ AMELIORATE most nearly means: (A) improve; (B) worsen; (C) analyze; (D) postpone. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
ℹ️ Part of speech of ameliorate
ameliorate is a VERB.
🗣️ Pronunciation of ameliorate
ameliorate is pronounced /ə.ˈmi.li.ə.reɪt/ or uh-MEE-lee-uh-rayt.
📚️ Definition of ameliorate
To make something better, less painful, or more tolerable; to improve a bad or unpleasant situation. Example: to ameliorate poverty through education.
📰 Examples
Here are some examples of ameliorate in usage:
The school district's free breakfast program was designed to ameliorate childhood hunger and help students focus better on learning.
We waited all day for the weather to ameliorate. (Advanced: Notice the usage of ameliorate as an intransitive, rather than transitive, verb.)
To ameliorate the pain of the loss, try an analgesic and perhaps some meditation for good measure.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
A, improve. Explanations: B is the opposite—worsen means to make worse, not better. C doesn't work; analyze means to examine carefully, not to make better. D is incorrect; postpone means to delay or put off, which has nothing to do with improving something.