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).
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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
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to bring back to health, good spirits, etc
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to return (something lost, stolen, etc) to its owner
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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
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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:
Save the Redwoods League last month conveyed the 125-acre property to the Yurok Tribe following a years-long project to restore the degraded industrial site to a diverse riparian habitat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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 collaborative research team, led by scientists from Duke University School of Medicine, created a first-of-its-kind therapy designed to restore the normal length of the mRNA that produces SPSB1.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
A bird rarely seen in the UK has been caught on camera in Somerset, raising hopes that work to restore freshwater habitats could provide a refuge for it.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The old nurse Eurycleia and her maids were summoned to cleanse the place and restore all to order.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Refertilization occurs when magma restores chemical components to mantle rock that previously lost them during partial melting.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Using NFC technology, the physical device connects with the app and restores access.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Cristian Axle Sánchez Ruiz restores a relic at in a church in Tancitaro, which bills itself as Avocado Capital of the World.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Whether this shift restores trust in polling or further erodes it will depend less on the technology itself than on how it is used, explained and regulated.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
She returns the stone inside the model house and restores the wooden panels that make up its roof and twists the chimney back into place and puts the house into the pocket of her dress.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
The team then restored p58IPK in one of the modified cell lines.
From Science Daily ● 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
When the restored exterior is unveiled for the first time in seven years and illuminated for the first time ever, everyone will get to appreciate its beauty, said Mettham.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Zurbarán’s is a story of a great reputation restored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Sarai uncovered her eyes and found Great Ellen restored to human form, the excoriating hawk gaze replaced by a piercing but compassionate human one.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
"There is no restoring the sea to what it used to be," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a crucial step toward restoring county funding for initiatives to help keep people out of jail.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
Burnham's early policies include restoring a £2 cap on bus fares in England and cutting VAT on household electricity bills.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
So the first Enemyway ceremony was done to cure him by restoring him to balance.
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
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.
