Synonyms of furnish

furnish

verb

ˈfər-nish 

1

as in to equip

to provide (someone) with what is needed for a task or activity

the art students were furnished with brushes, crayons, pencils, and various other art supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• equip
• supply
• prepare
• provision
• gird
• outfit
• rig
• present
• fit (out)
• contribute
• accoutre
• kit (up or out)
• dispense
• fortify
• distribute
• donate
• bestow
• store
• portion
• apportion
• deal (out)
• stock
• give
• allocate
• assign
• arm
• allot
• prorate
• hand out
• dole out
• parcel (out)
• mete (out)
• refurnish
• refit
• reequip
• reoutfit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deprive
• strip
• divest
• dispossess

2

as in to provide

to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption

we'll gladly furnish the food for any out-of-town guests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• provide
• give
• supply
• hand
• deliver
• feed
• distribute
• hand over
• dispense
• portion
• administer
• allocate
• deal (out)
• apportion
• assign
• ply (with)
• cede
• transfer
• prorate
• deed
• dole out
• parcel (out)
• mete (out)
• make over

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hold (back)
• keep (back)
• retain
• maintain
• preserve
• withhold
• save
• reserve
• conserve
• keep up

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb furnish contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of furnish are accoutre, appoint, equip, and outfit. While all these words mean "to supply one with what is needed," furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function.

a sparsely furnished apartment

When would accoutre be a good substitute for furnish?

The synonyms accoutre and furnish are sometimes interchangeable, but accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity.

fully accoutred members of a polar expedition

When is appoint a more appropriate choice than furnish?

The words appoint and furnish can be used in similar contexts, but appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings.

a lavishly appointed apartment

When can equip be used instead of furnish?

While the synonyms equip and furnish are close in meaning, equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use.

a fully equipped kitchen

Where would outfit be a reasonable alternative to furnish?

While in some cases nearly identical to furnish, outfit implies provision of a complete list or set of articles as for a journey, an expedition, or a special occupation.

outfitted the family for a ski trip

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of furnish

Rooms at this Pasadena landmark displaying Pueblo Mission Revival architecture are decorated with rich woods and furnished with chaise lounges; those on the ground floor have French doors opening onto patios. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2026

And that makes for a perhaps-too-late cautionary tale for the state of Kansas in the wake of the Chiefs’ announced intention to move into a glitzy new domed stadium there, largely furnished through billions of dollars in STAR bonds. —Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2026

Four distinct home models—each set on a one-acre lot and offered fully furnished by Rose Ink Workshop—are available with four- to five-bedroom blueprints. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2026

Nor did their eyes shed tears over the burning library that raiders furnished with the ashes of seven thousand books, which the novelist Mamdouh Azzam had collected over fifty years inside his house in Suwayda. —Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026