refreshing
Americanadjective
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having the power to restore freshness, vitality, energy, etc..
a refreshing nap.
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pleasingly fresh or different.
a refreshing lack of pretense.
adjective
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able to or tending to refresh; invigorating
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pleasantly different or novel
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of refreshing
Explanation
Something is refreshing if it reinvigorates you, or seems new and exciting. The offer of a refreshing glass of iced tea would be especially refreshing if it came from your normally cranky sister. Mint toothpaste is refreshing — clean and brisk — and a cool ocean breeze is refreshing on a hot day. If you're used to seeing wilted salads and pale lasagna in your school cafeteria every day, a refreshing change would be a taco bar or homemade pizza. Refreshing comes from the verb refresh, which has a Germanic root similar to frisc, "fresh" in Old High German.
Vocabulary lists containing refreshing
Words to Describe a Movie
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Words to Describe Food
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American Street
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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.
Watermelon has long been a summer favorite, but research suggests this refreshing fruit may offer benefits far beyond hydration.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
Nick, from Warrington: All this talk of overruling VAR's recommendation for Cunha's goal, but it's actually refreshing to see a referee take ownership of a decision and stand by it.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
For the moms who love a tart yet refreshing dessert, treat them to homemade lime ice cream.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
BMW—which also owns the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands—is also refreshing its car lineup with a new generation of software-first cars.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
They are little roadside shacks that serve snacks and refreshing drinks.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
