enlarge

enlarge — verb

1. to increase in size, amount, or scale — for example, making a room bigger by rem

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to increase in size, amount, or scale — for example, making a room bigger by removing a wall, or having a business grow to serve more customers.

Example

Aoi decided to enlarge the garden so the children would have more space to play.

transitive: enlarge + object (a physical space)

The small workshop slowly enlarged over the years as more orders came in from abroad.

intransitive: something enlarges by itself

Common collocations
  • enlarge a room / garden / building
  • enlarge a business / operation
  • enlarged to include
Synonyms
  • expand

    broader scope — 'expand' can mean extending outwards or spreading, while 'enlarge' focuses on size increase

  • increase

    more neutral and widely applicable, especially for amounts and numbers

  • magnify

    more specific to making something appear larger than it is, often through a lens

Antonyms
  • shrink

    to become smaller in size

  • reduce

    to make smaller in size, amount, or degree

Grammar Patterns

enlarge + object (transitive)

enlarge (no object, intransitive)

Usage Note

Can be used both transitively (you enlarge something) and intransitively (something enlarges). The intransitive use is less common in everyday speech than 'grow' or 'expand'; 'enlarge' often carries a sense of deliberate action.

Common Mistakes

My English vocabulary has enlarged a lot this year.
My English vocabulary has grown a lot this year.
'enlarge' is not used for abstract personal development; use 'grow' or 'expand' instead.
The company enlarged the price of its products.
The company increased the price of its products.
'enlarge' is not used with prices, numbers, or quantities; use 'increase' or 'raise'.

2. to create a larger version of a picture or text by printing it at a bigger scale

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to create a larger version of a picture or text by printing it at a bigger scale, often using a computer or machine.

Example

Nora took the wedding photo to the shop to have it enlarged to poster size.

transitive with specific measurement (poster size)

The detective enlarged the blurry image on her screen to read the car's licence plate.

Common collocations
  • enlarge a photo / photograph / image
  • enlarge a document
  • digitally enlarged
  • enlarged to [size]
Synonyms
  • blow up

    informal synonym, common in everyday speech

  • magnify

    to make something appear larger through a lens or software zoom, not necessarily to create a physical copy

Antonyms
  • reduce

    to make a smaller copy of an image or document

Grammar Patterns

enlarge + object (photograph, image, document)

Usage Note

The noun 'enlargement' is commonly used to refer to the printed copy itself, e.g., 'a wall-sized enlargement of the original photo'. This sense is the most specific and technical of the three.

Common Mistakes

Please enlarge the font size to 14 points.
Please increase the font size to 14 points.
'enlarge' is not used for adjusting type size; use 'increase' or 'make larger'.

3. to give more information or talk in greater detail about a particular subject, i

3.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to give more information or talk in greater detail about a particular subject, idea, or statement that has already been mentioned.

Example

Professor Samir enlarged on his theory about climate shifts in Southeast Asia.

enlarge on + topic (formal register)

The report noted the budget problems but did not enlarge on why they overspent.

Common collocations
  • enlarge on a point / subject / topic
  • enlarge upon an idea / statement
Synonyms
  • elaborate on

    more common in everyday formal use; less literary than 'enlarge upon'

  • expand on

    similar meaning, slightly more informal

  • expound

    more academic and formal; implies a thorough, systematic explanation

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

enlarge on/upon + topic

Usage Note

Always followed by the preposition 'on' or 'upon' when specifying what is being discussed. Never used transitively in this sense ('He enlarged the reasons' is incorrect). This sense is restricted to formal written and spoken discourse.

Common Mistakes

The speaker enlarged the reasons for the policy change.
The speaker enlarged on the reasons for the policy change.
Sense 3 requires the preposition 'on' or 'upon'; it cannot take a direct object.
Phrasal verbs

enlarge on

phrasal verb

To give more details or information about something that was already mentioned.

The professor enlarged on the theory during the lecture.

Could you enlarge on your earlier statement about the project?

enlarge upon

phrasal verb

To give more details or information about something that was already mentioned.

The report enlarged upon the risks involved in the plan.

She enlarged upon her reasons for leaving the company.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve making something bigger, but they differ in what kinds of things they apply to. 'Enlarge' is most natural for physical dimensions — rooms, gardens, photographs — and implies deliberate action. 'Expand' suggests spreading outward in all directions (a company expanding into new markets, metal expanding when heated) and often carries a sense of growth into new areas. 'Increase' is the most general and neutral word, used for numbers, amounts, speed, and intensity (increase the volume, increase sales). 'Magnify' is about making something appear larger than it is, usually through a lens or zoom function, and is also used figuratively (magnify a problem). For physical objects you want to make literally bigger, 'enlarge' and 'expand' are the closest pair; choose 'enlarge' for deliberate, contained size changes and 'expand' for growth that pushes boundaries outward.

enlarge ↗expand ↗increase ↗magnify

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to poster size
  • to include

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'enlargen', borrowed from Old French 'enlarger' (also 'eslargir'), formed from 'en-' (a prefix meaning 'to cause to be') and 'large' (meaning 'large, broad, wide'). The French word traces back to Latin 'largus' meaning 'abundant, plentiful, generous'. The word entered English in the 13th century originally meaning 'to set free' (a meaning now obsolete), with the modern sense of 'make bigger' appearing in the 14th century. The photography-specific sense arose in the mid-19th century with the invention of photographic enlarging technology.