refurbish

verb

re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish How to pronounce refurbish (audio)
refurbished; refurbishing; refurbishes

transitive verb

: to brighten or freshen up : renovate
refurbisher noun
refurbishment noun

Did you know?

As seems proper given how English prefixes work, before you could refurbish something you could furbish it. That shorter word was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Anglo-French as furbisshen; it shares a distant relative with the Old High German verb furben, meaning "to polish." In its earliest uses furbish also meant "to polish," but it developed an extended sense of "to renovate" shortly before English speakers created refurbish with the same meaning in the 17th century. These days refurbish is the more common of the two words, although furbish does continue to be used.

Examples of refurbish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The booster used Tuesday previously launched on Starship's seventh test flight in January before it was caught back at the launch pad and refurbished for another space shot. ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025 This model is quality refurbished, meaning it’s been inspected, cleaned, and tested to work like new. New Atlas, 28 May 2025 These operators pay artisans and specialized mechanics top dollar to maintain and refurbish the century-old rides, all in an effort to preserve their original design and craftsmanship. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 May 2025 SpaceX has so far safely recovered three Super Heavy boosters after launch with the goal of refurbishing and reusing the rocket parts to drive down costs. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for refurbish

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refurbish was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Refurbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refurbish. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

refurbish

verb
re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish How to pronounce refurbish (audio)
: to brighten or freshen up : renovate
refurbish an old house
refurbishment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on refurbish

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