Enhance Meaning
/ɪnˈhɑːns/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo lift, raise up.
verbTo augment or make something greater.
Sentence Examples
If you have a good garden, it will enhance the value of your house.
So-called "winter time" is expected to enhance the college reform.
This is an opportunity to enhance the reputation of the company.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Adding fresh herbs can greatly ____ the flavor of this simple soup.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Regular exercise and a healthy diet will ____ your overall physical health.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English enhauncen, anhaunsen, from Anglo-Norman anhauncer (“enhance, raise”), from Vulgar Latin *inaltiāre (“raise”), derived from Latin in + altus (“high”). The /h/ in Old French was taken from haut (“high”), where it resulted from Frankish influence.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst: / The stroke down from her head vnto her shoulder glaunst."
— 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
"They had no character to preserve, except for courage; and perhaps the reputation of ferocity enhanced the value of their services, in making them feared as well as hated by the people."
— 1831, Robert Southey, Sir Thomas More: Or Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society, page 214:
"A hereditary monarch relies on pomp and ceremony, which enhance the respect for the institution"
— 2000, Mordecai Roshwald, Liberty: Its Meaning and Scope, page 155:
"A pom-pom to top off a stocking cap, a fringe to feather the edge of a shawl, tassels to define the points of an afghan, these are just a few of the delightful little goodies that enhance handknit things."
— 1986, Maggie Righetti, Knitting in Plain English, page 192:
"The only silver lining for businesses and local residents was that there was at least an end in sight, and that the new station, once built, would enhance the area and provide improved east-west access for pedestrians."
— 2025 February 19, Chris Howe, “Euston: a work in progress”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 45:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Adding fresh herbs can greatly ____ the flavor of this simple soup.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Regular exercise and a healthy diet will ____ your overall physical health.