refreshing
Americanadjective
-
having the power to restore freshness, vitality, energy, etc..
a refreshing nap.
-
pleasingly fresh or different.
a refreshing lack of pretense.
adjective
-
able to or tending to refresh; invigorating
-
pleasantly different or novel
Other Word Forms
Derived 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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words to Describe Food
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
American Street
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“Doomjobbing” is the cycle of endlessly applying for employment postings, refreshing LinkedIn and scrolling job boards without making meaningful progress toward meaningful employment.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Someone who was refreshing a little more than most is 23-year-old Everton fan Erik Ibsen.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
For a generation sometimes derided for its sense of privilege, there’s a refreshing simplicity and wholesomeness to these recipes built for social media’s culture of imitation and iteration.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
For the moms who love a tart yet refreshing dessert, treat them to homemade lime ice cream.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
“After a nice long bath, you can hurry back to school, and this will have been just a refreshing break in your morning.”
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
