fresh

adjective \ ˈfresh \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: fresh in a Sentence

Definition of fresh

1 a : having its original qualities unimpaired: such as

(1) : full of or renewed in vigor : refreshed

rose fresh from a good night's sleep

(2) : not stale, sour, or decayed

fresh bread

(3) : not faded

lessons fresh in her memory

(4) : not worn or rumpled

a fresh white shirt

b : not altered by processing

fresh vegetables

2 a : not salt

fresh water

b (1) : free from taint : pure

fresh air

(2) of wind : moderately strong

a fresh breeze

3 a (1) : experienced, made, or received newly or anew

form fresh friendships

(2) : additional, another

a fresh start

b : original, vivid

a fresh portrayal

c : lacking experience : raw

coming fresh to the job
—Helen Howe

d : just come or arrived

fresh from school

e : having the milk flow recently established

a fresh cow

[probably by folk etymology from German frech]

: disposed to take liberties : impudent

don't get fresh with me

5 slang : fashionable, cool

—

freshly

adverb

—

freshness

noun

See fresh defined for English-language learners

See fresh defined for kids

Examples of fresh in a Sentence

You can use either fresh or dried basil for this recipe.
The meat was kept fresh in the refrigerator.
a bouquet of fresh flowers
He changed into a fresh shirt.
She brought a fresh change of clothes.
She rose fresh from a good night's sleep.

Recent Examples of fresh from the Web

But the plan was met with skepticism and at times outright hostility from many local politicians of both parties who had the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, the largest oil spill in U.S. history, still fresh in their minds.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Many states oppose Trump's offshore drilling plan. House Republicans want to charge them for it.," 14 June 2018
Serov, fresh from a round of durak with Utsumi, hopped over onto the bunk next to him.

— anton troianovski, chicagotribune.com, "World Cup fans meet Russians on the world's longest train line," 14 June 2018
On June 12th official data showed the employment rate at a fresh all-time high of more than 75.5%, even as the minimum wage continues to rise.

— The Economist, "British employers find it surprisingly easy to flout labour law," 13 June 2018
Coach Brett Brown, fresh off navigating the franchise to its most successful season in nearly two decades, is serving as the interim general manager.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "No Bryan Colangelo, no problem for Sixers?," 13 June 2018
Vendors with fresh produce, microgreens, local cheeses, breads and bakery, meats, honey, jams, sauces and seasonings.

— elaine rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Breathe events: Eating right, feeling well and getting moving," 13 June 2018
In so many words, Gonzales and Converse have remixed and repurposed design elements most of us didn’t even know existed—and in doing so have managed to create fresh take on a decades-old sneaker.

— tyler watamanuk, GQ, "These Converse Sneakers Get the Inside-Out Treatment," 13 June 2018
Suddenly Assassin’s Creed is an exciting and fresh-feeling series again.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Hands-on: Assassin's Creed: Odyssey embraces Witcher-like RPG elements, and it's damned exciting," 12 June 2018
Cheshire coach Bill Mrowka, fresh off winning the Class LL state title on Saturday, was the coach of District III.

— sean begin, courant.com, "High School Baseball: Seniors Enjoy One Last Hurrah At CHSCA All-Star Games," 12 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fresh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fresh

Middle English, from Anglo-French fresch, freis, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German frisc fresh; akin to Old English fersc fresh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

fresh Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of fresh

new, novel, original, fresh mean having recently come into existence or use. new may apply to what is freshly made and unused

- new brick

or has not been known before

- new designs

or not experienced before.

- starts the new job

novel applies to what is not only new but strange or unprecedented.

- a novel approach to the problem

original applies to what is the first of its kind to exist.

- a man without one original idea

fresh applies to what has not lost its qualities of newness such as liveliness, energy, brightness.

- a fresh start

fresh

adverb

Definition of fresh

: just recently : newly

we're fresh out of eggs

See fresh defined for English-language learners

Examples of fresh in a Sentence

This bread was baked fresh.

Recent Examples of fresh from the Web

On the same day, Cato issued a recall of fresh cut watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe and fresh-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at its Indianapolis facility.

— tresa baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Tainted melons trigger 3 salmonella lawsuits in Midwest," 12 June 2018
Def Leppard is touring fresh from becoming one of the last multiplatinum-selling acts to have its music made available on streaming and download sites.

— mark kennedy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "When Def Leppard and Journey come to Summerfest together, expect the hits," 25 May 2018
Rather than pay a premium for experienced workers, some employers would prefer to bring on fresh-faced grads and train them, Yildirmaz says.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Salaries for graduates seeking first jobs rose 5.2% from last year," 18 May 2018
The menu - incredibly small by today's standards - blends American, Italian and Asian offerings using creative spins while staying fresh through the seasons.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Flying Fig quietly maintains its wonderful place in Cleveland's culinary world," 3 May 2018
Granted, Detroit's image in recent decades hasn't gleamed like, say, a Cadillac fresh off an assembly line.

— julia sayers, AL.com, "Explore this Michigan college town's food and art scene," 30 Apr. 2018
This dragging comes fresh off an impressive victory for the curlers, who beat Switzerland 8-4 during their Olympic heat on Tuesday.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "We Live in a World Where the USA Curling Team Just Came for Kirstie Alley," 20 Feb. 2018
But the appeal isn't just the size; the wine stays fresh longer (up to six weeks).

— mark byrne, GQ, "You Could Use a Style Upgrade," 21 Apr. 2018
Most of the panini are made on house focaccia that is baked fresh here daily, and these feature many of the same topping options as the pizzas.

— larry olmsted, USA TODAY, "Barilla now has five fast-casual restaurants," 21 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of fresh

see ¹fresh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

fresh

noun

Definition of fresh

1 : an increased flow or rush (as of water) : freshet

2 archaic : a stream, spring, or pool of fresh water

Recent Examples of fresh from the Web

In the meantime, don't hold your breath waiting for Alexa to suggest the best deli-fresh chipped ham.

— courtney linder, The Christian Science Monitor, "Voice assistants can't understand Pittsburghese," 19 Apr. 2018
Some recipes call for Dijon mustard or fresh chopped herbs such as thyme or rosemary.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "You asked for it: How to make tasty French Brasserie style steak," 21 Sep. 2017
This is particularly true of the three-liter size, where economies of scale allow vintners to offer the equivalent of four standard bottles for remarkably low prices in a package that keeps wine tasting fresh for up to 60 days.

— marnie old, Philly.com, "Great Wine Values: René Barbier 'Mediterranean Red' from Catalonia, Spain," 10 Aug. 2017
With the memory of the Women's March fresh in mind, songs about finding your strength in a world trying to hold you back are topical and widely relatable.

— piet levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Review: Kesha achieves greatness on comeback album 'Rainbow'," 10 Aug. 2017
But this year, with Sabia's death fresh in their memory, the team delivered its best run.

— matthew conyers, courant.com, "Emotional Stamford Sweeps West Hartford For American Legion State Title," 29 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of fresh

see ¹fresh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1538

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

FRESH Defined for English Language Learners

fresh

adjective

Definition of fresh for English Language Learners

: newly produced, made, gathered, etc. : not preserved by being frozen, canned, etc.
: not old, spoiled, etc.
: clean and pure

fresh

adverb

Definition of fresh for English Language Learners

: just recently

FRESH Defined for Kids

fresh

adjective \ ˈfresh \

Definition of fresh for Students

fresher; freshest

1 : not salt

fresh water

2 : pure 1, brisk

fresh air

a fresh breeze

3 : not frozen, canned, or pickled

fresh vegetables

4 : not stale, sour, or spoiled

fresh bread

5 : not dirty or rumpled

a fresh shirt

6 : ¹new 4

Let's make a fresh start.

7 : newly made or received

a fresh wound

fresh news

8 : rude and disrespectful

fresh talk

—

freshly

adverb

—

freshness

noun

Law Dictionary

fresh

adjective

legal Definition of fresh

1 a : free of the detrimental effects of delay (as the fading of memories)

b : characterized by promptness

2 : experienced, made, or received newly or anew

a resumed interrogation requiring fresh Miranda warnings

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fresh

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Definition of fresh for English Language Learners

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