refreshing
Americanadjective
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having the power to restore freshness, vitality, energy, etc..
a refreshing nap.
-
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
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
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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.
The smoky cucumber salad offers a refreshing contrast, while the pork belly rice bowl is rich and satisfying enough to stand as a meal on its own.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
But there’s a refreshing absence of nostalgia in Hayakawa’s conception of Fuki and her quizzical processing of her father’s fatal illness.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
“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
Oliver says the characterisation of Hannah's boyfriend Garrett is "refreshing" and "such a strength of the show".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
The chapter has only been up for a couple minutes and I’m already wanting to keep refreshing the page for new reads and reviews.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
