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

Despite his good intentions, Brandlin was caught in the act while working in the middle of the night to refurbish the crosswalks and install the street signs, leading to a night in the Hawthorne Jail. —Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026

If an item is newer and still in working condition, manufacturers may refurbish and resell it. —ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026

Knott’s Berry Farm has refurbished its historic Bird Cage Theatre, a place for vaudeville-style, fourth-wall-breaking shows. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

Other project goals include refurbishing the pedestrian overpass, building a sound wall along Hannibal Street and adding a signal at the westbound ramps at the Centennial Way Interchange. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 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