English dictionary



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English verb: alter

1. alter (change) cause to change; make different; cause a transformation


SamplesThe advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city.
The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue.


Synonymschange, modify


Pattern of useSomebody ----s something.
Somebody ----s somebody.
Something ----s somebody.
Something ----s something


Narrower (hyponym)accelerate, accustom, acerbate, acetylate, acetylise, acetylize, achromatise, achromatize, activate, activate, activate, activate, add, adjust, adorn, aerate, affect, affect, age, aggravate, alchemise, alchemize, alcoholise, alcoholize, alien, alienate, alkalinise, alkalinize, allegorise, allegorize, alter, amalgamate, ameliorate, amend, Americanise, Americanize, angulate, animalise, animalize, animate, animise, animize, antiquate, antiquate, antique, archaise, archaize, arouse, arterialise, arterialize, ash, assimilate, automate, automatise, automatise, automatize, automatize, awaken, barb, barbarise, barbarize, bear on, bear upon, beautify, bedim, beef up, begrime, bemire, bestialise, bestialize, bestow, better, blear, blind, blister, blot out, blunt, blunt, blunt, blur, blur, blur, boil, bolshevise, bolshevize, break, break down, break up, brighten, bring, bring, bring, brutalise, brutalize, bubble, calcify, camp, capture, cause to sleep, centralise, centralize, change intensity, change over, change over, change taste, charge, charge, chasten, chasten, check, chill, chord, circularize, civilise, civilize, clarify, classicise, classicize, clean, clear, clear, clot, cloud, coagulate, coarsen, coarsen, cohere, collimate, colly, color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour, colour in, colourise, colourize, commercialise, commercialize, commix, communise, communize, commute, compensate, complicate, complicate, concentrate, concentrate, condense, confuse, constitutionalise, constitutionalize, contaminate, contract, contribute, conventionalise, conventionalize, convert, convert, convert, convert, cook, cool, cool down, correct, correct, corrupt, counterchange, crack, crush, cry, customise, customize, cut, damage, darken, de-emphasise, de-emphasize, deactivate, deaden, deaden, deaminate, deaminize, debase, debauch, decarboxylate, decelerate, decentralise, decentralize, decimalise, decimalize, deconcentrate, decorate, decrease, decrepitate, deflate, defog, deform, degauss, dehydrogenate, delay, demagnetise, demagnetize, demist, democratise, democratize, demonise, demonize, demoralise, demoralize, demulsify, demythologise, demythologize, denationalise, denationalize, denaturalise, denaturalise, denaturalize, denaturalize, denature, denature, denature, deodorise, deodorize, deodourise, depersonalise, depersonalize, depolarise, depolarize, deprave, depress, desensitise, desensitise, desensitize, desensitize, destabilise, destabilize, destress, detransitivise, detransitivize, devalue, develop, develop, devilise, devilize, diabolise, diabolize, digitalise, digitalize, digitise, digitize, dinge, dirty, disable, disaffect, disarray, discolor, disenable, disharmonize, disintegrate, dismiss, disorder, disqualify, dissimilate, dissolve, dissolve, dissonate, disturb, diversify, dizzy, domesticate, domesticise, domesticize, dope, draw, drop, dry, dry out, dull, dull, dynamise, dynamise, dynamize, dynamize, ease off, ease up, edit, edit, edit out, effeminise, effeminize, elaborate, elevate, embellish, embrittle, empty, emulsify, enable, end, energise, energize, envenom, equal, equalise, equalize, equate, eroticize, estrange, eternalise, eternalize, eternise, eternize, etherealize, etherialise, etiolate, etiolate, Europeanise, Europeanise, Europeanize, Europeanize, evaporate, even, even out, exacerbate, exasperate, exchange, exchange, excite, excite, expand, extend, exteriorise, exteriorize, externalise, externalize, fasten, fat, fatten, fatten out, fatten up, fecundate, fecundate, feminise, feminize, fertilise, fertilise, fertilize, fertilize, fill, fill out, fill up, fix, flatten, flesh out, flocculate, form, fortify, fortify, freeze, Frenchify, freshen, full, gear up, gelatinise, gelatinize, get, glamorise, glamorize, glamourise, glamourize, glorify, glorify, grace, grime, habituate, harmonise, harmonize, harshen, heat, heat up, hide, hue, humanise, humanize, humble, hydrogenate, immaterialise, immaterialize, immortalise, immortalize, impact, impart, improve, inactivate, incandesce, incapacitate, increase, indispose, indispose, individualise, individualize, industrialise, industrialize, inflate, inform, inseminate, inspissate, insulate, intensify, interchange, interchange, internationalise, internationalize, intransitivise, intransitivize, introvert, invalidate, invert, invert, iodinate, ionate, Islamise, Islamize, isomerise, isomerize, lace, laicise, laicize, land, legitimate, lend, lessen, let up, liberalise, liberalize, lifehack, lift, lighten, lighten up, liquefy, liquidise, liquidize, liquify, loose, loosen, loosen, loosen, loosen, louden, lower, lubricate, magnetise, magnetize, make, make, make, make clean, make full, make grow, mark, market, masculinise, masculinize, masculinize, match, mature, mechanise, mechanise, mechanize, mechanize, meliorate, merge, militarise, militarise, militarize, militarize, mince, mingle, minify, misdirect, mix, moderate, moderate, moderate, morph, muddy, mythicise, mythicize, mythologise, mythologize, nationalise, nationalise, nationalize, nationalize, naturalise, naturalise, naturalize, naturalize, nazify, neutralise, neutralize, neutralize, nick, normalise, normalize, obfuscate, objectify, objectify, obliterate, obnubilate, obscure, obscure, obscure, occidentalise, occidentalize, officialise, officialize, opacify, opalise, opalize, opsonize, orientalise, orientalize, ornament, ossify, outmode, overcloud, overturn, oxidate, oxidise, oxidize, oxygenise, oxygenize, paganise, paganize, pall, parallel, patent, perplex, personalise, personalize, pervert, piggyback, plasticise, plasticize, plump, plump out, poison, polarise, polarize, politicise, politicize, port, prepare, pressurise, pressurize, profane, professionalise, professionalize, proof, prostrate, purge, purify, put, radicalize, raise, rarefy, rarefy, rarify, rationalise, rationalize, ready, reclaim, reclaim, recombine, recommend, reconstruct, reconstruct, rectify, redact, redo, redress, reestablish, refine, refine, reflate, reform, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, reinstate, relax, remodel, renormalise, renormalize, replace, restore, retard, reverse, revolutionise, revolutionize, right, right, ripen, romanticise, romanticize, round, round down, round off, round out, rouse, rusticate, sanctify, sanitise, sanitize, saponify, saturate, sauce, schematise, schematize, scramble, sensibilise, sensibilize, sensify, sensitise, sensitise, sensitise, sensitize, sensitize, sensitize, sentimentalise, sentimentalize, set, set, set, set aside, set up, sex up, sexualise, sexualize, shade, shake, shallow, shape, sharpen, sharpen, shift, shift, shoal, shorten, simplify, slenderise, slenderize, slow down, smut, sober, socialise, socialize, soften, soften, soil, solemnise, solemnize, solvate, speed, speed up, spice, spice up, spike, spiritualize, sputter, stabilise, stabilize, stain, steepen, stiffen, still, straighten, straighten out, strengthen, string, subdue, sublimate, substitute, subtilize, suburbanise, suburbanize, subvert, supercharge, supple, suspend, suspend, sweeten, switch, symmetrise, symmetrize, synchronise, synchronize, tame, tame, tame, temper, tender, tenderise, tenderize, tense, terminate, territorialise, territorialize, thicken, think, tighten, tone down, touch, touch, touch on, transaminate, transfigure, transform, transform, transform, transform, transform, transform, transitivise, transitivize, translate, transmute, transmute, transpose, transpose, transubstantiate, turn, turn back, uglify, unclutter, undo, unfit, uniformise, uniformize, unify, unify, unify, unite, unite, unsanctify, unscramble, unsex, unsubstantialise, unsubstantialize, untie, untune, urbanise, urbanise, urbanize, urbanize, validate, vaporise, variegate, vascularise, vascularize, veil, ventilate, verbify, vesiculate, virilise, virilize, visualise, visualize, vitalise, vitalize, vitiate, vitiate, vitrify, vivify, void, volatilise, volatilize, vulgarise, vulgarize, wake, wake up, waken, warm, weaken, weaponize, westernise, westernize, wet, widen, womanize, worsen


Causechange

2. alter (change) become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence


SamplesHer mood changes in accordance with the weather.
The supermarket's selection of vegetables varies according to the season.


Synonymschange, vary


Pattern of useSomething ----s.
Somebody ----s


Narrower (hyponym)accommodate, adapt, alternate, avianise, avianize, branch out, break, broaden, crackle, diversify, diversify, honeycomb, jump, let out, modulate, move, narrow, narrow down, radiate, specialise, specialize, take in, widen

3. alter (creation) make an alteration to


SamplesThis dress needs to be altered.


ExamplesThey alter the cape


Pattern of useSomebody ----s something


Broader (hypernym)alter, change, modify


Entailsew, tailor, tailor-make

4. alter (change) insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby


Synonymsfalsify, interpolate


Pattern of useSomebody ----s something


Broader (hypernym)edit, redact

5. alter (body) remove the ovaries of


SamplesIs your cat spayed?.


Synonymscastrate, neuter, spay


Pattern of useSomebody ----s somebody


Broader (hypernym)desex, desexualise, desexualize, fix, sterilise, sterilize, unsex


Narrower (hyponym)defeminise, defeminize









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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