refurbish
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of refurbish
Explanation
Whether it’s a bike, an old computer, or a tennis stadium, when you refurbish something you clean it up and make it look or perform better. When you refurbish something, you generally keep the structure the same but improve its looks and possibly its functionality. For example, if you renovate a room you may make it "new again" with structural changes, such as tearing down walls and altering its original design. If you refurbish it, however, you will most likely focus on making it look better with cosmetic changes, such as painting it. The word refurbish is also often used to describe secondhand technology that has been rebuilt to restore function by replacing a component that has failed.
Vocabulary lists containing refurbish
100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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The Suffix -ish, Part 2
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Undefeated
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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.
And with stakes in companies that could potentially produce hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude a day, as well refurbish the country’s largest refinery, arguably no one had more at stake financially than Sargeant.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Restore Robotics doesn’t yet have regulatory approval to refurbish Intuitive’s Surgical’s da Vinci 5 systems, which should comprise a growing share of procedures in the coming years, the firm pointed out.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
The raffle supported Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital, which is seeking £150,000 to refurbish its cancer treatment centre.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025
Boeing's delays have forced Emirates to refurbish much of its existing fleet, including its Airbus A380s which are now out of production.
From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025
This would be a time to find a sheltered place beside a stream to rest and refurbish.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
