rejuvenate

verb

re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt How to pronounce rejuvenate (audio)
rejuvenated; rejuvenating

transitive verb

1
a
: to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to
b
: to restore to an original or new state
rejuvenate old cars
2
a
: to stimulate (a stream) to renewed erosive activity especially by uplift
b
: to develop youthful features of topography in

intransitive verb

: to cause or undergo rejuvenescence
rejuvenator noun

Did you know?

The word rejuvenate is intended for mature audiences—that is, it applies to people and things that are no longer green to this world. While there is no true Fountain of Youth that can turn back the clock, rejuvenation can at least restore a bit of youthful appearance, health, or vigor. Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," and the Latin juvenis, meaning "young." (It will come as no surprise that juvenis is also an ancestor of juvenile and junior). Its first-known use in the mid-18th century was in reference to "certain Potions" rejuvenating "the noble Parts" of those suffering prolonged ailments, but it didn't take long for the word to see life outside of medical contexts. Today one might rejuvenate an old car with a fresh coat of paint, a losing football team with a new quarterback, or depleted soil with some nitrogen-fixing legumes, to name just a few examples.

Did you know?

Juvenis, Latin for "young", can be seen in a word such as juvenile. Rejuvenation is something that can be carried out on a creaky old house, a clunker of a car, a sluggish career, a weak economy, or a company that's lost its edge, but rejuvenate and rejuvenation are probably used most often for talking about our physical selves. Ads for lotions promise skin rejuvenation; diet-book covers show rejuvenated (or maybe just young) models bursting with health. We still seem to be searching for that "Fuente de la Juventud" that Juan Ponce de León failed to discover five hundred years ago.

Choose the Right Synonym for rejuvenate

renew, restore, refresh, renovate, rejuvenate mean to make like new.

renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new.

efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle

restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

restored a fine piece of furniture

refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

a refreshing drink

renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.

the apartment has been entirely renovated

rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits

Examples of rejuvenate in a Sentence

The spa treatment rejuvenated me. Each candidate claims to have a plan to rejuvenate the sagging economy. Her efforts to rejuvenate her career have so far been unsuccessful.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With his velocity down about one mph on all of his pitches this season, the club is hoping that a brief stint on the shelf will rejuvenate him and restore him to peak effectiveness. Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 The deal marks a momentary retreat for President Donald Trump, who had defended his steep tariffs on Chinese imports as critical to rejuvenate domestic manufacturing in the United States, even as the moves rattled global markets and stoked economic anxieties among Americans. USA Today, 17 May 2025 Representing Estonia in the song contest, the musician’s upbeat entry is as spiritually rejuvenating as it is deeply caffeinated. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025 If the goal is to rejuvenate American filmmaking, there's a better way forward. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rejuvenate

Word History

Etymology

re- + Latin juvenis young — more at young

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rejuvenate was in 1742

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Cite this Entry

“Rejuvenate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rejuvenate. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

rejuvenate

verb
re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt How to pronounce rejuvenate (audio)
rejuvenated; rejuvenating
: to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to
rejuvenation noun
rejuvenator noun

Medical Definition

rejuvenate

verb
re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt How to pronounce rejuvenate (audio)
rejuvenated; rejuvenating

transitive verb

: to make young or youthful again
specifically : to restore sexual vigor in (as by hormones or an operation)

intransitive verb

: to cause or undergo a renewal of youthfulness
rejuvenator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rejuvenate

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