restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
restorablenessnoun
-
restorernoun
-
quasi-restoredadjective
-
restorableadjective
-
self-restoringadjective
-
unrestorableadjective
-
unrestoredadjective
-
well-restoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
restoresimple
-
restoressimple
-
have restoredperfect
-
has restoredperfect
-
am restoringprogressive
-
are restoringprogressive
-
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
"What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" Vocabulary from the short story
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Chapter 20: Renaissance and Reformation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Beyer Blinder Belle, lead developer on the building's exterior, enlisted a speciality manufacturer in California to replicate and restore thousands of terra-cotta pieces from the facade, reinstalling each by hand.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 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
I was sensible even that night of the folly of my expectations—that notes on a page might restore her voice to me.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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
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
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
This suggests that the drug rapidly restored a healthier balance in neuronal excitability rather than repairing structural differences formed during early development.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
Zurbarán’s is a story of a great reputation restored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He returned home after things had settled, as the Years of Discord came to an end, as something like that order you speak of was restored.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
"There is no restoring the sea to what it used to be," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 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
Beijing said it was “deeply concerned” about vessels and crews stranded in the strait and called for restoring unimpeded passage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
It believes the total cost of restoring the Mackintosh would be £265m.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Oh yes, the restoring booster. I suppose I did promise.”
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
