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

• 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

Following the disappointment of the 2024-25 regular season, City moved to freshen things up as quickly as possible ahead of the Club World Cup, not only by bringing in three new outfield players but by making significant changes to the backroom staff. —Sam Lee, New York Times, 8 July 2025

After cleaning your kitchen sink, use lemon peels to freshen the garbage disposal. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2025

Reheat your leftover pasta and freshen it up with fresh herbs and good Parmesan cheese. —Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

The breath strips kill bad breath germs and freshen your breath with a cool mint flavor. —Nora Colomer May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025

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