afresh
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of afresh
Explanation
When you do something afresh, you start it again as if it's the first time. You might, for example, start afresh baking a new apple pie after burning the first one. When you see the adverb afresh, it's often following "start" or "begin." Doing something afresh is getting a fresh start, or a complete do-over. Your grandfather might start afresh with his new job as a goat farmer after a lifetime working as an accountant. Or you might start afresh with a classmate you used to argue with, determined to find a way to get along. In both examples, someone is approaching things in a brand new way.
Vocabulary lists containing afresh
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Saar’s 100th birthday approached, her work and its groundbreaking importance were celebrated afresh in a slew of articles, including two recent profiles in The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
But after being continually drawn back in their campervan, Adam and Lou Bourns decided to leave their life in Brixton and start afresh in Carmarthenshire.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
The Villa Stuck reopened to the public in October following a $16 million renovation—the first in 20 years—that allows visitors to appreciate the artist’s gutsy genius afresh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
I think you are right to look at moving to a new home and starting afresh.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026
With one, you can lose your entire past; you start afresh, learning how to tie your shoelaces, how to eat with a fork, how to read and sing.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
