fresh

American  

[fresh] / frɛʃ /

adjective

fresher, freshest

1. newly made or obtained.

   fresh footprints.

   Synonyms:

   energetic, recent

   Antonyms:

   old

2. recently arrived; just come.

   fresh from school.

3. new; not previously known, met with, etc.; novel.

   to uncover fresh facts;

   to seek fresh experiences.

4. additional or further.

   fresh supplies.

5. not salty, as water.

6. retaining the original properties unimpaired; not stale or spoiled.

   Is the milk still fresh?

7. not preserved by freezing, canning, pickling, salting, drying, etc..

   fresh vegetables.

8. not tired or fatigued; brisk; vigorous.

   She was still fresh after that long walk.

9. not faded, worn, obliterated, etc.: a fresh appearance.

   fresh paint;

   a fresh appearance.

10. looking youthful and healthy.

    a fresh beauty that we all admired.

11. pure, cool, or refreshing, as air.

    Synonyms:

    unadulterated, sweet, invigorating

12. denoting a young wine, especially a white or rosé, that is clean, crisp, and uncomplicated.

13. Meteorology. (of wind) moderately strong or brisk.

14. inexperienced; green; callow.

    Two hundred fresh recruits arrived at the training camp.

    Synonyms:

    unskilled, raw, artless

    Antonyms:

    skilled, experienced

15. Informal. forward or presumptuous.

16. (of a cow) having recently given birth to a calf.

17. Slang.

    1. exciting; appealing; great.

    2. informed; up-to-date.

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noun

1. the fresh part or time.

2. a freshet.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become fresh.

adverb

1. newly; recently; just now.

   He is fresh out of ideas.

   The eggs are fresh laid.

fresh British  

/ frɛʃ /

adjective

1. not stale or deteriorated; newly made, harvested, etc

   fresh bread

   fresh strawberries

2. newly acquired, created, found, etc

   fresh publications

3. novel; original

   a fresh outlook

4. latest; most recent

   fresh developments

5. further; additional; more

   fresh supplies

6. not canned, frozen, or otherwise preserved

   fresh fruit

7. (of water) not salt

8. bright or clear

   a fresh morning

9. chilly or invigorating

   a fresh breeze

10. not tired; alert; refreshed

11. not worn or faded

    fresh colours

12. having a healthy or ruddy appearance

13. newly or just arrived; straight

    fresh from the presses

14. youthful or inexperienced

15. designating a female farm animal, esp a cow, that has recently given birth

16. informal presumptuous or disrespectful; forward

17. dialect partially intoxicated; tipsy

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noun

1. the fresh part or time of something

2. another name for freshet

verb

1. obsolete to make or become fresh; freshen

adverb

1. in a fresh manner; freshly

2. informal having just run out of supplies of

fresh Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fresh

• breath of fresh air

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Usage

What is a basic definition of fresh? Fresh is an adjective that describes something as new or recently made, as being not spoiled or not preserved, or as being energized or not tired. Fresh has many other senses as an adjective and a few as a noun and a verb. If something is fresh, it has not existed for very long or is so new that it has never been used or seen before.

• Real-life examples: Kids like to play in fresh snow that is still soft and not frozen. A fresh pen has never been used before. When people want to try something different, they need fresh ideas.
• Used in a sentence: I grabbed a piece of paper that was fresh out of the pack.

When referring to food, the word fresh is used to mean the food is not spoiled, stale, or going rotten. The word fresh can also mean that food is raw and has not been treated, preserved, pickled, salted, or otherwise altered from its original form.

• Used in a sentence: That gross, smelly fish clearly isn’t fresh. 

Fresh also means that someone hasn’t used any energy or is full of vigor.

• Used in a sentence: The tired players sat on the bench and fresh substitutes took their place. 

Related Words

See new.

Other Word Forms

• freshly adverb
• freshness noun

Etymology

Origin of fresh

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fersc; cognate with Old Frisian fersk, Old High German frisc ( German frisch ), Old Norse ferskr

Explanation

Fresh describes things that are new or energetic, like fresh bread from the oven and fresh music from a recording artist. Moldy bread and grandpa's polkas? Not so fresh. There are many uses for the adjective fresh, from being flirty to being well-rested. Ripe foods taste fresh compared to freezer-burned varieties, and fresh ideas are exciting and new. Fresh water is without the bitterness of salt water. Modern and different are also synonyms of fresh, while stale and tired are opposites.

Example Sentences

Baye got her break in François Truffaut's 1973 comedy La nuit américaine, titled Day for Night in English - when she was fresh out of drama school, Le Monde reported.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Oil-and-gas production has surged in Argentina’s massive Vaca Muerta shale formation, while mining, particularly lithium and copper, has attracted fresh investment and brought in much-needed dollars through exports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

“The results are all-time highs in equities and a fresh wave of buying by both domestic and foreign investors.”

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

The Aire Sutileza Elixir is floral, fresh and earthy, featuring notes of pear, lemon, jasmine sambac, vetiver, sandalwood and musk.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

I got up and leaned out the front window to fill my lungs with fresh, cool air.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• bright
• clean
• clear
• colorful
• cool
• crisp
• pure
• quick
• sharp
• stiff
• sweet
• vivid