Synonyms

refurbish

American

[ree-fur-bish] / riˈfɜr bɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

to furbish again; renovate; brighten.

to refurbish the lobby.

Synonyms:

redecorate, refurnish

refurbish British

/ riːˈfɜːbɪʃ /

verb

(tr) to make neat, clean, or complete, as by renovating, re-equipping, or restoring

"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

refurbishing noun
refurbishment noun

Etymology

Origin of refurbish

First recorded in 1605–15; re- + furbish

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.

In Mr. Barnett’s hands, “Rumpelstiltskin” has undergone a very light refurbishing, keeping the original plot mostly intact with the welcome addition of the author’s trademark wry humor.

From The Wall Street Journal

“No one needs to make it better. You’re still better off buying a refurbished one from the time when they made them.”

From Los Angeles Times

Curled up on a vintage sofa they found at a Long Island junk store and refurbished, the couple likes to reminisce about their favorite finds from their 22 years together.

From Los Angeles Times

MPs have been presented with proposals to refurbish the ailing Palace of Westminster, including a plan that could cost almost £40bn and take 61 years to complete.

From BBC

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023