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Synonyms

refreshing

American  
[ri-fresh-ing] / rɪˈfrɛʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having the power to restore freshness, vitality, energy, etc..

    a refreshing nap.

  2. pleasingly fresh or different.

    a refreshing lack of pretense.
refreshing British  
/ rɪˈfrɛʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. able to or tending to refresh; invigorating

  2. pleasantly different or novel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • refreshingly adverb
  • refreshingness noun
  • unrefreshing adjective
  • unrefreshingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of refreshing

First recorded in 1570–80; refresh + -ing 2

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.

The film’s perspective on mental health, including Sam being open about his use of antidepressants, is quietly refreshing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

With her working week deep in the world of AI, she says it's refreshing to use her hands to make something tangible.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Scientists still do not fully understand what happens in the brain to create this sense of deep, refreshing rest.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Served over ice in a short glass and topped with fruit-salad flotsam, the elixir is lightly caffeinated, mildly fruity and as refreshing as stepping out of the Hanoi humidity into full-blast air conditioning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The air above me kisses my cheeks with a refreshing breeze—the kind of weather that turns on the part of your brain that screams, Let’s have fun!

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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.