engrandir

Engrandir is a French verb meaning to enlarge, to magnify, or to increase in size or importance. It is a transitive verb formed with the prefix en- attached to grandir, the root meaning to grow. The components reflect a sense of making something bigger or more significant.

In use, engrandir can describe physical enlargement as well as metaphorical or symbolic amplification. Common contexts include expanding a space or structure (for example, engrandir une pièce or engrandir une ville) and enhancing or puffing up non-physical aspects (for instance, engrandir la réputation d'une entreprise or engrandir l'importance d'un événement). The word is versatile and often appears in formal, literary, or administrative prose.

Usage notes: Engrandir is relatively formal and somewhat literary; in everyday speech, speakers may prefer synonyms such as agrandir (physically enlarge), élargir (to widen), augmenter (to increase), or amplifier depending on nuance. The verb can carry connotations of making something seem larger or more impressive than it is, which is common in descriptive or evaluative writing.

Conjugation: Engrandir follows the typical pattern of -ir verbs. In the present tense, forms include j'engrandis, tu engrandis, il engrandit, nous engrandissons, vous engrandissez, ils engrandissent. Like other -ir verbs, it combines with standard auxiliary structures in compound tenses and can appear in various registers according to context.