freshen

verb

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fresh·en | \ ˈfre-shən

freshened; freshening\ ˈfre-sh(ə-)niŋ

Definition of freshen

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 upfreshen up with a shower

2 of a milk animal : to begin lactating

transitive verb

: to make fresh also : refresh, revive

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Examples of freshen in a Sentence

a mint that freshens the breath Can I freshen your drink?

Recent Examples on the Web And, in general, the work has been tightened and freshened. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, "Review: At American Blues, ‘Five Presidents’ puts Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton in the same tiny room," 13 Sep. 2019 My sentences didn’t become smoother, but against baseline changes in fatigue and motivation, the pills sometimes seemed to freshen and brighten whatever question was at hand. — Richard Cooke, The New Republic, "The conservative commentariat’s love affair with nootropics," 3 Sep. 2019 That means freshening up your hurricane safety kit right now. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, "A critical moment for Tropical Storm Dorian is just hours away," 27 Aug. 2019 Getting the building back to a fully productive use would go far toward freshening up all of Riverside Avenue, one of the chief gateways to downtown from the east. — Don Stacom, courant.com, "Bristol wants fresh start for 113-year-old ex-factory," 13 Aug. 2019 The Bravo tone of its living-room makeovers and tailoring challenges is freshened by spritzes of up-with-the-culture earnestness. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "Why “Styling Hollywood” Is One of the Best Celebrity-Stylist Reality Shows," 30 Aug. 2019 So at this time anyone in the threat area should be freshening up their hurricane safety kits and watching for forecast updates. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, "Here's why Dorian will likely become an intense hurricane by the time it hits the U.S.," 29 Aug. 2019 What could be better to freshen up your dad’s wardrobe than a versatile yet bold green watch face? — Simona Matovic, oregonlive, "There’s still time to give Dad the gift of time | Watches for Father’s Day under $275," 11 June 2019 Aesop Dapper Gentleman Grooming Kit with face cleanser, hydrating cream, shaving serum, spray-on moisturizer and lip balm to freshen up tired skin after a round of meetings; $150, exclusively at mrporter.com. — Carol Mccolgin, The Hollywood Reporter, "Father's Day Gift Guide: Top Choices for Execs, Stars, Agents, Writers and Directors," 7 June 2019

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

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Last Updated

25 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for freshen

The first known use of freshen was in 1697

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More Definitions for freshen

freshen

verb

English Language Learners Definition of freshen

: to make (something) fresh : to cause (something) to be more pleasant

chiefly US, informal : to pour more of a usually alcoholic drink into someone's glass

of wind : to become stronger

See the full definition for freshen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

freshen

verb

fresh·en | \ ˈfre-shən

freshened; freshening

Kids Definition of freshen

: to make or become fresh I took a shower to freshen up. Wind freshened the air.

freshen

transitive verb

fresh·en | \ ˈfresh-ən

freshened; freshening\ ˈfresh-(ə-)niŋ

Medical Definition of freshen

of a milk animal

: to begin lactating

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freshen

Definition of freshen

Other Words from freshen

Synonyms for freshen

Examples of freshen in a Sentence

First Known Use of freshen

Learn More about freshen

Dictionary Entries near freshen

Statistics for freshen

The first known use of freshen was in 1697

English Language Learners Definition of freshen

Kids Definition of freshen