restore
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish.
to restore order.
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to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting.
- Synonyms:
- mend
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to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor.
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to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc..
to restore the king to his throne.
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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
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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
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to reconstruct (an extinct animal, former landscape, etc)
Synonym Usage
See renew.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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restorablenessnoun
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restorernoun
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quasi-restoredadjective
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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
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restoressimple
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have restoredperfect
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has restoredperfect
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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
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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
"What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" Vocabulary from the short story
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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:
In the meantime, locals like Ogata and Yui* are having to pick up the pieces and try to restore some kind of normality – even as the shockwaves, both geological and psychological, continue to quiver.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Earlier this year, Gucci’s CEO, Francesca Bellettini, said that the brand needed to restore its appeal among Chinese shoppers, to which the brand is highly exposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The temple said it is working with investigators and is looking to restore the mural.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
It also helped restore the normal structure of cartilage and the synovium, the tissue that lines the inside of joints.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Only a Roman can return it and restore peace.”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Refertilization occurs when magma restores chemical components to mantle rock that previously lost them during partial melting.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 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
It restores Douglass to a living continuum of dissent rather than isolating him as an exceptional voice, and it underscores how fully the Fourth of July once accommodated, even invited, fierce moral criticism from within.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The UK's foreign minister Yvette Cooper urged a "swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability".
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
By the time Celia restores a tenuous calm, she has come to a decision.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
The Swiss logistics company’s earnings momentum can be restored through a combination of global market leadership, market share gains in select industries, and an effective cost-cutting program, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yurok Tribe construction and fisheries crews pulled up roughly 20 acres of thick asphalt, restored the channel to a mile-long braided waterway and built wetlands and two ponds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Once the MHC-1 complex was restored, immune checkpoint therapy became much more effective against the prostate tumors.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
The World Bank and IMF have restored contacts with the Venezuelan government since that ouster, and the Fund has so far provided around $346 million from the country's reserves with the multilateral lender.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
When no one knows where you fit into the social order of color and creed, confusion ensues until order is restored.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
In addition to restoring Gucci's sense of exclusivity, the strategy aims to boost leather goods across the whole group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Our focus has been on restoring trust, and we are now building on that through a sustained focus on safety, quality and on-time performance.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The report states fully restoring the Mackintosh is therefore "dependent on external funding sources that are uncertain", and cites a "significant funding gap" needing to be resolved.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When restoring their 1925 Wallace Neff-designed home in La Cañada Flintridge, Pete and Teri Lauenstein wanted kitchen tile that would make their home period-accurate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Charming as that may be,” Muriel said, “I would require the energy of a knot unraveling to work any spell capable of restoring your grandmother to her former state.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
