A2 verb Neutral #425 most common

enhance

/ɪnˈhæns/

To enhance means to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something. It is often used when you want to make something that is already good even better or more attractive.

Examples

3 of 5
1

I used some fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of the soup.

I used some fresh herbs to improve the taste of the soup.

2

The new lighting will enhance the beauty of the historical building.

The new lighting will make the historical building look even more beautiful.

3

A simple filter can really enhance your photos.

A simple filter can really make your photos look better.

Word Family

Noun
enhancement
Verb
enhance
Adjective
enhanced
Related
enhancer
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Memory Tip

Think of 'EN-HANCE' as 'EN-DANCE'. If you learn to dance, you enhance your social skills and have more fun!

Quick Quiz

The chef added a secret ingredient to _______ the flavor of the dish.

Correct!

The correct answer is: enhance

Examples

1

I used some fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of the soup.

everyday

I used some fresh herbs to improve the taste of the soup.

2

The new lighting will enhance the beauty of the historical building.

formal

The new lighting will make the historical building look even more beautiful.

3

A simple filter can really enhance your photos.

informal

A simple filter can really make your photos look better.

4

These statistics enhance our understanding of the current economic climate.

academic

These statistics improve our knowledge of the current economic situation.

5

We need to enhance our customer service to stay competitive.

business

We need to make our customer service better to stay ahead of other companies.

Word Family

Noun
enhancement
Verb
enhance
Adjective
enhanced
Related
enhancer

Common Collocations

enhance quality to make the quality better
enhance skills to improve someone's abilities
enhance performance to make something work better
enhance the experience to make an event or activity more enjoyable
enhance value to increase how much something is worth

Common Phrases

enhance the reputation

to make people think more highly of someone or something

flavor enhancer

something added to food to make it taste stronger or better

enhance one's image

to make oneself look better to other people

Often Confused With

enhance vs increase

Increase refers to the quantity or size, while enhance refers to the quality or value.

enhance vs enlarge

Enlarge specifically means to make something physically bigger in size.

📝

Usage Notes

Use 'enhance' when you are talking about adding a positive quality to something. It is most commonly used with abstract nouns like 'beauty', 'value', 'skills', or 'flavor'.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes use 'enhance' for negative things (e.g., 'enhance the pain'), but it should only be used for positive improvements.

💡

Memory Tip

Think of 'EN-HANCE' as 'EN-DANCE'. If you learn to dance, you enhance your social skills and have more fun!

📖

Word Origin

From the Old French word 'enhancer', which means to raise, make higher, or lift up.

Grammar Patterns

transitive verb (requires a direct object) often followed by a noun phrase common in the passive voice: 'The image was enhanced'
🌍

Cultural Context

In modern digital culture, 'enhance' is a very common term used in photo editing and video gaming to describe improving visual graphics.

Quick Quiz

The chef added a secret ingredient to _______ the flavor of the dish.

Correct!

The correct answer is: enhance

Related Words

to

A1

Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.

and

A1

A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.

a

A1

A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.

that

A1

This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.

I

A1

The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.

for

A1

Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.

not

A1

A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.

with

A1

A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.

he

A1

A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.

you

A1

Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.

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