refurbish

verb

re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish 

refurbished; refurbishing; refurbishes

transitive verb

: to brighten or freshen up : renovate

refurbisher noun

refurbishment

ri-ˈfər-bish-mənt 

noun

Did you know?

As seems proper given how English prefixes work, before you could refurbish something you could furbish it. That shorter word was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Anglo-French as furbisshen; it shares a distant relative with the Old High German verb furben, meaning "to polish." In its earliest uses furbish also meant "to polish," but it developed an extended sense of "to renovate" shortly before English speakers created refurbish with the same meaning in the 17th century. These days refurbish is the more common of the two words, although furbish does continue to be used.

Examples of refurbish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Red Bull acquired the plane in the year 2000, after it had been abandoned near a Zambian airport, refurbished it and brought it to Austria where it is kept. — Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

While $487 million is being spent to refurbish the 775-room landmark, visits to the palace fell last year, according to a new report released by the Royal Collection Trust, a charity that manage King Charles III's sprawling portfolio of residences. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 29 July 2026

LeVota previously said that a new use could involve either refurbishing one or both of the stadiums, or demolishing one or both entirely. — Ilana Arougheti july 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026

The oak hardwood floors have been refurbished, the home has been freshly painted and the gable roof has been replaced. — Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

refurbish

verb

re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish 

: to brighten or freshen up : renovate

refurbish an old house

refurbishment

-mənt 

noun