poboljati

Poboljati is a verb used in the Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Montenegrin varieties of Serbo-Croatian. It means to become better, to recover from illness, or to improve a situation. The sense is generally that of an improvement after a decline, rather than a complete or sudden cure.

Etymology and relation to other words: The verb derives from the root bol meaning pain, with the prefix po-, which in many Slavic languages signals a change of state or completion. It is related to the adjective bolji (better) and to words for illness such as bolest (illness). This family of forms reflects a common pattern of expressing improvement in health or conditions.

Usage and nuance: Poboljati is typically used to describe health-related recovery or general improvement. It is commonly found in everyday speech as well as in writing. In some dialects, imperfective forms such as pobolijevati or pobolježavati exist to describe ongoing or gradual improvement, whereas the standard usage often signals a completed change of state.

Variants and related terms: A closely related verb is poboljšati, which also conveys improvement but is more commonly used to denote a deliberate or sustained enhancement in quality, situation, or performance. While poboljati emphasizes the transition toward better health or conditions, poboljšati covers a broader range of improvements, including intentional enhancement.

See also: bol (pain), bolest (illness), bolji (better), pobolježavati (dialectal imperfective form, where applicable).