freshen

verb

fresh·​en ˈfre-shən 

freshened; freshening ˈfre-sh(ə-)niŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to grow or become fresh: such as

a

of wind : to increase in strength

b

: to become fresh in appearance or vitality

—usually used with up

freshen up with a shower

2

of a milk animal : to begin lactating

transitive verb

: to make fresh

also : refresh, revive

freshener

ˈfre-sh(ə-)nər 

noun

Synonyms of freshen

• restore
• refresh
• revive
• recreate
• renew
• renovate

Examples of freshen in a Sentence

a mint that freshens the breath

Can I freshen your drink?

Recent Examples on the Web

Target, which has had back-to-back strong quarters, is beginning to see results from efforts to cut prices and freshen its merchandise, with new CEO Michael Fiddelke so far earning plaudits from Wall Street. — Reuters, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Target, which has had back-to-back strong quarters, is beginning to see results from efforts to cut prices and freshen its merchandise, with new CEO Michael Fiddelke earning plaudits from Wall Street so far. — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

The largest tracts lie in southern Miami-Dade County, where low-lying coastal wetlands once connected Biscayne Bay to the Everglades and provided a steady flow of clean freshwater to freshen the bay. — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

The Tucson was substantially freshened for 2025 so 2026 is largely a carryover year. — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing freshen

• freshen up

Rhymes for freshen

• cession
• hessian
• pression
• session
• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion

Kids Definition

freshen

verb

fresh·​en ˈfresh-ən 

freshened; freshening -(ə-)niŋ 

1

: to make or become fresh : refresh

freshen up with a shower

2

: to become brisk or strong

the wind freshened

3

: to brighten in appearance

freshen up a room with some color

freshener

-(ə-)nər 

noun

Medical Definition

freshen

transitive verb

fresh·​en ˈfresh-ən 

freshened; freshening ˈfresh-(ə-)niŋ 

of a milk animal

: to begin lactating