区别辨析enlarge、amplify、expand、increase、magnify、multiply与augment

enlarge、amplify、expand、increase、magnify、multiply与augment这些动词均有“增加,增大”或“扩大”之意。

enlarge : 主要指面积或体积等的扩大。

  • They've enlarged the kitchen by building over part of the garden.
    他们占用一部分花园扩建了厨房。
  • an enlarged spleen
    肿大的脾脏

amplify : 在科技中常指声音的扩大或电磁波的增强。也指补充了细节、详述或扩大内容等。此词系正式用语。

  • amplified music/guitar
    经过扩音的音乐/带有扩音设备的电吉他
  • A funeral can amplify the feelings of regret and loss for the relatives.
    葬礼可以渲染生者痛失亲人的哀悼之情。

expand : 指范围、程度、体积和尺寸等方面的扩大或增加。

  • The air in the balloon expands when heated.
    气球里的空气加热后膨胀。
  • They expanded their retail operations during the 1980s.
    20世纪80年代他们扩大了零售业务。

increase : 指数量、强度和大小等方面的扩大或增加。

  • Incidents of armed robbery have increased over the last few years.
    持械抢劫案近几年增多了。
  • The cost of the project has increased dramatically/significantly since it began.
    该项目自开始以来成本就急剧上升。
  • Gradually increase the temperature to boiling point.
    逐步加热至沸点。
  • Increased/Increasing efforts are being made to end the dispute.
    正在尽更大努力来结束这场争端。

magnify : 可指用光学仪器使物体看上去显得变大;也指事实上把某物增大,有时用于夸张意味。

  • Although our skin looks smooth, when magnified it is full of bumps and holes.
    我们的皮肤看上去很光滑,但放大后看却是坑坑洼洼的。
  • The hot summer magnified the racial tensions in the community.
    炎热的夏日加深了社区的种族矛盾。

multiply : 通常指自然繁殖而产生的增长,有时也指同类事物数量的成倍增加。

  • In warm weather these germs multiply rapidly.
    在温暖的天气里这些细菌会迅速繁殖。
  • Our problems have multiplied since last year.
    自去年以来,我们的问题成倍增加。
  • Cigarette smoking multiplies the risk of cancer.
    抽烟会大大增加得癌症的风险。

augment : 较正式用词,一般指在原有的基础上增加含量而扩大。

  • He would have to find work to augment his income.
    他可能不得不找活儿干来增加收入。
  • The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.
    政府关心的首要问题是扩充军队及辅助队伍。