restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
restores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
restored,
past participle, past
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restoring
present participle
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to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish.
to restore order.
-
to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting.
- Synonyms:
- mend
-
to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor.
-
to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc..
to restore the king to his throne.
-
to give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).
-
to reproduce or reconstruct (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state.
- Synonyms:
- rebuild
verb
-
to return (something, esp a work of art or building) to an original or former condition
-
to bring back to health, good spirits, etc
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to return (something lost, stolen, etc) to its owner
-
to reintroduce or re-enforce
to restore discipline
-
to reconstruct (an extinct animal, former landscape, etc)
Synonym Usage
See renew.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
restorablenessnoun
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restorernoun
-
quasi-restoredadjective
-
restorableadjective
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self-restoringadjective
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unrestorableadjective
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unrestoredadjective
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well-restoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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restoresimple
-
restoressimple
-
have restoredperfect
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has restoredperfect
-
am restoringprogressive
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are restoringprogressive
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is restoringprogressive
-
have been restoringperfect progressive
-
has been restoringperfect progressive
Past
-
restoredsimple
-
had restoredperfect
-
was restoringprogressive
-
were restoringprogressive
-
had been restoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of restore
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English restoren, from Old French restorer, from Latin restaurāre; see re-, store
Explanation
If you restore furniture for a living, you clean and repair it to bring it back to its original beauty. When you restore something, you are simply bringing it back to what it once was. You are not making it better, nor are you adding something that wasn't there. You can restore a damaged reputation, your health, or an old house, though the latter may be easiest of those three to accomplish. If the electricity goes out, you will have to sit in the dark until the power is restored.
Vocabulary lists containing restore
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“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
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Chapter 20: Renaissance and Reformation
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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:
Puente's successor, Carlos Cuerpo, has vowed to take all necessary measures to "restore the confidence of Spaniards in our high-speed rail".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
It cannot, by itself, restore public trust or guarantee ethical leadership.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
“The perfect buyer found this home. Drawn to its rich history, heritage, and pedigree, he plans to restore it to its classic roots,” Rosten tells Realtor.com.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Throughout this campaign, we asked shareholders to give us the mandate to restore accountability, revitalize the business and return Ethan Allen to profitable growth,” Bergeron said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
It would be Milligan’s task to lead the search for all the unfortunates who had ever set foot upon Nomansan Island; it would be Mr. Benedict’s to restore their memories.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
“A modest package of measures that restores a healthy fiscal headroom would be well received by investors,” Ebury’s Diaz-Alvarez said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Although exercise, physical therapy, weight management, and medications can help manage symptoms, there is currently no established treatment that reliably restores cartilage lost to osteoarthritis.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Gemma was able to have a thrombectomy, which removes blood clots and restores blood flow to the brain, a procedure she has said is a "miracle treatment" that has enabled her to recover well.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
“She will not accept a recovery process that restores the status quo. She is committed to ensuring this community is safer moving forward than it was before the fire began.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The sun’s faint warmth restores my hope, assures me that I am safe now.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The land would be restored by replanting suitable species and "village centres, mosques, schools and graves" would be spared, he said, indicating land owners would be offered "alternative" plots further away.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Oil is in “freefall” as markets price in a faster path to restored Strait of Hormuz crude flows, rather than another round of escalation, according to Raj.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Cinaciguat restored this signaling process, allowing the liver cells to communicate more effectively and supporting the removal of substances that otherwise tend to accumulate with age.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
The incident led Binance to suspend withdrawals for customers globally, meaning users could not get their cryptocurrency out of the platform until the service was restored on Sunday.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
With Rosie safely restored to the menagerie, I return to Barbara’s tent, still clutching the bull hook.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
They also hope the findings will encourage scientists studying other conditions, particularly atherosclerosis, to investigate how restoring liver function might influence disease development.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
He claims to be restoring the rule of law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Under this accord, nations set 23 global targets for 2030 including protecting 30 percent of land and oceans, tackling pollution and invasive species, and restoring degraded ecosystems.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Agencies have pledged $2.9 billion under the program, and much of the funds will go toward restoring aquatic habitat for fish, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
To him fell the job of organizing the workers, restoring order, and reconstructing the wreckage of the entire property.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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