modify

verb

1. make less severe or harsh or extreme; “please modify this letter to make it more polite”; “he modified his views on same-gender marriage”

   Less specific

   • change

   More specific

   • optimize, optimise, attemper, syncopate, update, update, soup up, hop up, hot up, cream, qualify, restrict, corrupt, spoil, temper (more) , harden, specialize, specialise, buffer, inflect, cushion, buffer, soften

2. add a modifier to a constituent

   Synonyms

   • qualify

   Less specific

   • add

3. cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; “The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city”; “The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue”

   Synonyms

   • change, alter

   More specific

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