restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
restores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
restored,
past participle, past
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restoring
present participle
-
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
-
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
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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
-
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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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
Still, the recovery in exports has yet to fully restore regional energy flows, with security threats and elevated shipping costs continuing to complicate shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 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
Hiatt had to bang his gavel to restore quiet.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
“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
In the brain, it restores signaling linked to protection against inflammation and damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 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
"Nature restores and reestablishes itself very quickly," she said, noting that whilst the freshly-broken ground looks harsh, it will soon "become more natural."
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 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 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
“Greater clarity or, better yet, progress toward a deal with the U.S. would support a broader recovery in exports and investment as confidence is restored for both businesses and consumers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 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
When they restored the cellular cleanup process or removed synuclein protein in their experiments, the neurons were protected from damage.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
The fresh damp breeze off the Channel restored him to clarity.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
France and Spain then used the American Revolution to curb British power, in hopes of restoring a lost equilibrium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
It appeared to be restoring another important aspect of liver function.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said that for species facing increasing pressure, creating and restoring suitable habitats was "vital to reversing declines".
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Ugarte supports Mayor Karen Bass’ goal of restoring the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
He squeezes, steadying me and pushing me gently to the left, restoring my balance.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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