refurbish

verb

re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish How to pronounce refurbish (audio)
refurbished; refurbishing; refurbishes

transitive verb

: to brighten or freshen up : renovate
refurbisher noun
refurbishment 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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Newegg has deals on gently used, refurbished, new and hard-to-find electronics, gaming products and more. Molly Higgins, WIRED, 26 Oct. 2024 Wrapping a game with modern visuals and refurbishing the gameplay satisfies older fans while also introducing a new generation to the franchise. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024 The Houthis have refurbished tunnels that once held Scud missiles when Yemen was ruled by strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, according to an analysis in April by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 The café has been at the store space for a few years, but now it’s been refurbished with dark wood tones, warm lighting and silverware. Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for refurbish 

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refurbish was in 1611

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Dictionary Entries Near refurbish

Cite this Entry

“Refurbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refurbish. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

refurbish

verb
re·​fur·​bish ri-ˈfər-bish How to pronounce refurbish (audio)
: to brighten or freshen up : renovate
refurbish an old house
refurbishment noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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