diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/base-types-extra.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/base-types-extra.rkt
index 12863d55..39a176bb 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/base-types-extra.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/base-types-extra.rkt
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@
     [(_ nm ...)
      #'(begin (define-syntax nm
                 (lambda (stx)
-                  (raise-syntax-error 'type-check "type name used out of context"
+                  (raise-syntax-error 'type-check
+                                      (format "type name ~a used out of context in ~a"
+                                              (syntax->datum (if (stx-pair? stx)
+                                                                 (stx-car stx)
+                                                                 stx))
+                                              (syntax->datum stx))
                                       stx
                                       (and (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx)))))
               ...
@@ -26,4 +31,3 @@
                      [List Tuple]
                      [Rec mu]
                      [Parameterof Parameter]))
-
diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/extra-env-lang.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/extra-env-lang.rkt
index 99beef4a..7a6932f8 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/extra-env-lang.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/extra-env-lang.rkt
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@
                                    ;;        lift out to utility module maybe
                                    (define-syntax (type stx)
                                      (raise-syntax-error 'type-check
-                                                         "type name used out of context"
+                                                         (format "type name ~a used out of context in ~a"
+                                                                 (syntax->datum (if (stx-pair? stx)
+                                                                                    (stx-car stx)
+                                                                                    stx))
+                                                                 (syntax->datum stx))
                                                          stx
                                                          (and (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx))))
                                    (provide type pred))))
diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/prims-struct.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/prims-struct.rkt
index 0263f795..7d6f8a39 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/prims-struct.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/prims-struct.rkt
@@ -197,7 +197,9 @@
        #'(lambda (stx)
            (raise-syntax-error
             'type-check
-            "type name used out of context"
+            (format "type name ~a used out of context in ~a"
+                    (syntax->datum (if (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx) stx))
+                    (syntax->datum stx))
             stx
             (and (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx)))))
      #`(begin
diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/type-env-lang.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/type-env-lang.rkt
index 1105dd7d..3f19eefa 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/type-env-lang.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/base-env/type-env-lang.rkt
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
         (begin
           (define-syntax (nm stx)
             (raise-syntax-error
-             'type-check "type name used out of context"
+             'type-check
+             (format "type name ~a used out of context in ~a"
+                     (syntax->datum (if (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx) stx))
+                     (syntax->datum stx))
              stx
              (and (stx-pair? stx) (stx-car stx))))
           ...
diff --git a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/types/resolve.rkt b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/types/resolve.rkt
index e507bd45..645be03f 100644
--- a/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/types/resolve.rkt
+++ b/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/types/resolve.rkt
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@
     (match rator
       [(Poly-unsafe: n _)
        (unless (= n (length rands))
-         (tc-error "wrong number of arguments to polymorphic type: expected ~a and got ~a"
-                   n (length rands)))]
+         (tc-error (~a "wrong number of arguments to polymorphic type " rator
+                       ": expected " n
+                       " and got " (length rands)
+                       ", arguments were: " rands)))]
       [(Name/struct: n)
        (when (and (current-poly-struct)
                   (free-identifier=? n (poly-name (current-poly-struct))))
@@ -61,7 +63,8 @@
                           " structure type constructor " rator
                           " does not match the given number:"
                           " expected " num-poly
-                          ", given " num-rands))))]
+                          ", given " num-rands
+                          ", arguments were: " rands))))]
       [(Name: name-id num-args #f)
        (cond [(> num-args 0)
               (define num-rands (length rands))
@@ -69,7 +72,8 @@
                 (tc-error (~a "The expected number of arguments for "
                               rator " does not match the given number:"
                               " expected " num-args
-                              ", given " num-rands)))
+                              ", given " num-rands
+                              ", arguments were: " rands)))
               ;; Does not allow polymorphic recursion since both type
               ;; inference and equirecursive subtyping for polymorphic
               ;; recursion are difficult.
@@ -98,7 +102,8 @@
                       (not (member (syntax-e arg-name) (fv given-type)))))
                 (unless ok?
                   (tc-error (~a "Recursive type " rator " cannot be applied at"
-                                " a different type in its recursive invocation"))))
+                                " a different type in its recursive invocation,"
+                                " new arguments were: " rands))))
               (match (current-check-polymorphic-recursion)
                 [`#s(poly-rec-info ,same-component? ,current-vars)
                  #:when (same-component? name-id)
@@ -125,7 +130,8 @@
       [(Poly: _ _) (instantiate-poly rator rands)]
       [(Mu: _ _) (resolve-app (unfold rator) rands stx)]
       [(App: r r* s) (resolve-app (resolve-app r r* s) rands stx)]
-      [_ (tc-error "cannot apply a non-polymorphic type: ~a" rator)])))
+      [_ (tc-error (~a "cannot apply a non-polymorphic type: " rator
+                       " with arguments: " rands))])))
 
 
 (define (needs-resolving? t)