replenish
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking, used up, etc..
to replenish one's stock of food.
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to supply (a fire, stove, etc.) with fresh fuel.
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to fill again or anew.
verb
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to make full or complete again by supplying what has been used up or is lacking
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to put fresh fuel on (a fire)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of replenish
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English replenisshen, from Middle French repleniss-, long stem of replenir “to fill,” Old French, equivalent to re- re- + plenir “to fill” (derivative of plein, from Latin plēnus full 1 )
Explanation
To replenish something is to refill it. If you have a pet pooch, you’re probably obligated to replenish his food bowl to avoid being barked at incessantly. Use replenish when talking about something valuable or desirable, such as money or food. For example, you might discuss replenishing your bank account, but you wouldn’t speak of replenishing a trash can. You can also use replenish in a joking way to show that something is of value to you; by noting that the jar of jellybeans on your desk needs to be replenished, you indicate that you require jellybeans to survive your day at the office. We get that.
Vocabulary lists containing replenish
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 5
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The Hobbit
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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.
As people grow older, these stem cells gradually lose their ability to repair and replenish the blood system.
From Science Daily • May 12, 2026
Trump needs to replenish the U.S. stockpile of rare-earth materials, while Xi’s objectives include securing the right to buy high-end chip-making machinery, the analyst said.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
All the action is happening above and behind those walls, where hundreds of robots ferry products around to replenish CVS Health stores across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Winter rainfall helped replenish water supplies after 2025's dry summer but water stocks can fluctuate quickly with some river levels already starting to fall, raising concerns about what might happen in the months ahead.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
I had, naturally, been called to the drawing room several times already that night to replenish refreshments, and had observed on these occasions the gentlemen deep in conversation over weighty issues.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
