amends

UK: /əˈmɛndz/ US: /əˈmɛndz/ ,(ə mendz′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

a•mends /əˈmɛndz/   n. 

[countable]

Idioms

1. Idioms make amends, to pay back or compensate, as for an injury, loss, or insult: [no object]
   promised to make amends.
   [~ + to + object + for]
   How can I make amends to you for the oversight?

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

a•mends  (ə mendz′), n. (used with a sing. or pl. v.)

1. reparation or compensation for a loss, damage, or injury of any kind;
   recompense.
2. [Obs.] improvement;
   recovery, as of health.
3. make amends, to compensate, as for an injury, loss, or insult:
   I tried to make amends for the misunderstanding by sending her flowers.

• Middle French, plural of amende reparation, noun, nominal derivative of amender to amend
• Middle English amendes 1275–1325

Synonyms

• 1. redress, restitution.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

amends / əˈmɛndz/ noun

1. (functioning as singular) recompense or compensation given or gained for some injury, insult, etc: to make amends

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French amendes fines, from amende compensation, from amender to emend

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

a•mend /əˈmɛnd/   v. [~ + object]

1. Government to modify, rephrase, or change (a bill, constitution, etc.) by formal procedure:
   Congress may amend the proposed tax bill.
2. to change for the better;
   improve:
   She needs to amend her ways.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

a•mend  (ə mend′), v.t. 

1. Government to alter, modify, rephrase, or add to or subtract from (a motion, bill, constitution, etc.) by formal procedure:
   Congress may amend the proposed tax bill.
2. to change for the better;
   improve:
   to amend one's ways.
3. to remove or correct faults in;
   rectify.

v.i. 

4. to grow or become better by reforming oneself:
   He amends day by day.

• Latin ēmendāre to correct, equivalent. to ē- e- + mend(a) blemish + -āre infinitive suffix
• Old French amender
• Middle English amenden 1175–1225

a•mend′a•ble, adj. 
a•mend′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. ameliorate, better.
• 3. Amend, emend both mean to improve by correcting or by freeing from error.
  Amend is the general term, used of any such correction in detail:
  to amend spelling, punctuation, grammar.
  Emend usually applies to the correction of a text in the process of editing or preparing for publication; it implies improvement in the sense of greater accuracy:
  He emended the text of the play by restoring the original reading.
• 4. improve, ameliorate.

Antonyms

• 2, 4. worsen.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

amend / əˈmɛnd/ verb (transitive)

1. to improve; change for the better
2. to remove faults from; correct
3. to alter or revise (legislation, a constitution, etc) by formal procedure

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French amender, from Latin ēmendāre to emend

aˈmendable adjective

aˈmender noun