replenish
Americanverb (used with object)
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replenishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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replenished,
past participle, past
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replenishing
present participle
-
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.
-
to fill again or anew.
verb
-
to make full or complete again by supplying what has been used up or is lacking
-
to put fresh fuel on (a fire)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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replenishsimple
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replenishessimple
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have replenishedperfect
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has replenishedperfect
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am replenishingprogressive
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are replenishingprogressive
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is replenishingprogressive
-
have been replenishingperfect progressive
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has been replenishingperfect progressive
Past
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replenishedsimple
-
had replenishedperfect
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was replenishingprogressive
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were replenishingprogressive
-
had been replenishingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
The protein's activity rises and falls as the cells transition from dormancy to repair and then replenish themselves, suggesting that TRF2 helps regulate the entire regeneration process.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026
But shops cannot replenish them through Faber's normal UK distribution network.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The Wall Street Journal’s Heather Somerville reports that a chronic shortage of explosives threatens the Pentagon’s agenda to replenish weapons stockpiles and arm troops with the unmanned systems that have come to define conflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
When Nabila tried to restock the shop, he realised the money coming in was not enough to replenish his shelves.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
“Actually I was going back to my den to replenish my stock of herbs, that’s if you wish me to treat your leader properly, of course.”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Once Binance replenishes its hot wallets with its own reserves, users’ crypto holdings will be unchanged, Binance said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"But then these lines reconnect and the Sun replenishes the lost energy back within hours," he adds.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
It could also test whether frequent comet activity replenishes the dust, a process studied by Steward researcher Virginie Faramaz-Gorka, who is also a co-author on the paper.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 17, 2025
Go where life is and do what replenishes you, Father Gregory Boyle had advised when I was researching “Independence Day,” my book on retirement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2023
He rewards them for their kindness with a basket full of fresh bread and butter that magically replenishes itself and a hollow stone with a flame inside that never burns out.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
The crypto exchange said it had replenished 98 percent of the affected assets by drawing on its own funds, with the remaining amount involving little-traded currencies that are harder to acquire.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
It said it had also set aside more than 100% of the funds needed to cover the loss, noting 98% of the token assets impacted had been "replenished" as of Saturday.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
It said it had replenished the assets using various funds and its own corporate treasury.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
A carrier can also be replenished by air, but aircraft cannot carry as many supplies as ships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
MacHarg’s men set big casks of this sterilized water throughout the park and replenished them every day.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Major retailers also are preparing for increased demand around the holidays and are stocking up and replenishing inventories, Seroka said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It would also have to cover things like paying for vacations, replenishing an emergency fund if it’s been tapped, and setting aside money in a health savings or college account.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
We’re meant to understand this as a kind of replenishing.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
He said this year had seen 25 percent less snow replenishing the surface of the glaciers compared to the 2010-2020 figures.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
Conversely, when a rain squall is replenishing your fresh-water supplies, you also know that the humidity will affect your cured provisions and that some will probably go bad, turning pasty and green.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
