fresh

American  

[fresh] / frɛʃ /

adjective

• fresher,
  comparative
• freshest
  superlative

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. 

Synonym Usage

See new.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• freshness
  noun
• freshly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• fresher
  comparative
• freshest
  superlative

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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

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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

See Examples For:

fresh fresher freshest

A surprise in hiring or wages could shift expectations for interest rates and trigger fresh volatility.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

The world-building of the Cat’s unique workplace is fantastically colorful and wild, and the voice cast, from Matt Berry to Bowen Yang, delivers fresh and funny performances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

The mood was also dampened by a fresh lift in oil prices, extending Thursday's gains after plunging on the midterm results amid hopes for an end to the Iran war.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

I love Moroccan pastries, especially cornes de gazelle, with coffee or fresh mint tea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

She peeled a banana, dropped it onto a piece of bread, and sprinkled it with fresh seaweed.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

For example, he said, the Emmy voting and award show calendar might be adjusted after 2027 so the event could occur earlier in the year, such as in May, when the shows feel fresher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

McDonald’s on Wednesday said it will make the biggest menu upgrade in its history to win diners back, with an overhaul that includes new chicken sandwiches and fresher coffee.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

But it is also about culture—hence “Winning Works,” which is intended to put fresher bottoms into seats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The warmth is forecast to fade quickly as fresher Atlantic air and rain-bearing fronts are likely to arrive through next week.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

“Pip,” said he, “we won’t talk about ‘poor dreams;’ you know more about such things than I, having much fresher experience of that kind.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Here’s how one of L.A.’s freshest new restaurants makes grains, greens and veggies sing — and how home cooks can replicate its grain bowls and salads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

"Here I was feeling fine. Maybe not the freshest, like at the beginning of the tournament, but I was physically all right," Djokovic said.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

When “The Great British Baking Show” returns for another season later this year, the tent will welcome a new judge alongside the freshest batch of competitors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026

I decide to start paying more attention, so I know when food is at its freshest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

Not only did it not establish me as the freshest thing since Kit Marlowe, it also didn’t get read by anybody.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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