fresh

1 of 3

adjective

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 jobHelen Howe
d
: just come or arrived
fresh from school
e
: having the milk flow recently established
a fresh cow
4
[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

fresh

2 of 3

adverb

: just recently : newly
we're fresh out of eggs

fresh

3 of 3

noun

1
: an increased flow or rush (as of water) : freshet
2
archaic : a stream, spring, or pool of fresh water
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of fresh in a Sentence

Adjective 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. Adverb This bread was baked fresh.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Or consider the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen 1, now $45 off, to trap pollutants like pet dander and pollen, ensuring your home's air is fresh and clean. Michael Stefanov, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 This is a twist on a whiskey sour variation called the Gold Rush, traditionally a simple concoction of bourbon, honey, and fresh lemon juice. Saveur Editors, Saveur, 21 Mar. 2024 Currie and Andy Coxon are former performers on London’s West End who created their hero product, The Deodorant Balm, to help fellow cast members feel—and smell—fresh after long days on stage. Lindy Segal, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2024 With the drastic increase of the cost of fresh foods, food insecurity issues will likely increase more, too. Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2024 In the absence of access to quality fishmongers, any sort of fresh, white-fleshed fish works well for this technique. Lucas Sin, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2024 Get The Recipe 28 of 35 Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles Make the most of fresh peaches with this five-ingredient popsicle recipe. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2024 The couple is fresh off a flight from Singapore, where Swift performed a series of Eras tour shows at National Stadium. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 With its world premiere in Austin on Saturday, the pair is excited to share their fresh and quirky vision with the world — a creative partnership built from a foundation of friendship and trust. William Earl, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024
Adverb
The Ravens, meanwhile, enter the AFC Championship Game fresh off a 34-10 win against the Houston Texans. Anna Tingley, Variety, 28 Jan. 2024 Those are still shucked fresh onto pies citywide, then served salty and chewy to pizza lovers in the know. Amelia Nierenberg, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 The baked goods – pastry, doughnuts and rolls, come fresh every day from Harvest Bakery in Bristol, the bagels from Kettle Bagels in Southington. Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2024 The lechón bowl is a neat stack of roast pork — your mixed meats might include shoulder, leg, loin and skin, paired with a sweet-onion escabeche and a plantain relish — atop whatever rice the guys are preparing fresh that day. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023 Here are some practical products to keep your wardrobe investments looking fresh: a fabric shaver that removes fuzz from your clothes and upholstery, and a handheld steamer that smoothes out wrinkles (and is small enough to pack into a bag). Malia Griggs, SELF, 4 Oct. 2023 Here are some practical products to keep your wardrobe investments looking fresh: a fabric shaver that removes fuzz from your clothes, and a handheld steamer that smoothes out wrinkles. Malia Griggs, SELF, 11 Oct. 2023 Every item is made the night before by their team of bakers and sold fresh the following morning. oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2023 Corrin’s cut comes fresh off the heels of Florence Pugh’s rosy pink iteration at the Valentino couture show last week, calling to mind the onslaught of platinum and pastel buzz cuts that defined 2017. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 10 July 2023
Noun
To keep the matcha fresh, store your tin inside a resealable plastic bag. Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 26 Feb. 2024 The Maya came up with ingenious solutions to keep their potable water fresh. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Oct. 2023 All that has helped keep the Rubik’s Cube fresh in people’s minds. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 14 Jan. 2024 If making when corn is in season, feel free to substitute with fresh. Emily Nabors Hall, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2023 From simple ways to make your hotel room more comfortable to pointers on keeping your clothing fresh, these are my 18 favorite Amazon products that will help make your next trip smoother — which is always the goal for any travel agent. Jackie Cucco, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2023 Firstly, applying hot steam to clothes helps to kill bacteria and keep fabric fresh, so a shower steam or travel steamer can help in this respect. Lauren Burvill, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023 These boots boast a unique anti-odor technology that minimizes the smell of a hard day on the trails, keeping you feeling (and smelling) fresh. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2023 Flashbacks keep the past fresh, particularly for Ely, whose skittishness and shame are unusually potent. Olivia Waite, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fresh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, and Noun

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

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of fresh was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fresh

Cite this Entry

“Fresh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fresh. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fresh

adjective
ˈfresh
1
a
: not frozen, canned, or pickled
fresh fish
fresh vegetables
b
: not stale, sour, or spoiled
fresh bread
c
: not worn, dirty, or wrinkled
a fresh shirt
2
a
: not salt
fresh water
c
: fairly strong : brisk
fresh breeze
3
a
: newly made or received
a fresh wound
b
: new entry 1 sense 6
make a fresh start
c
: remaining clear or vivid
fresh in my mind
4
: behaving or talking in a rude or disrespectful way
don't get fresh with me
freshly adverb
freshness noun

Legal Definition

fresh

adjective
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

More from Merriam-Webster on fresh

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