restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
restores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
restored,
past participle, past
-
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
-
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:
Bush and Clinton reached bipartisan deficit-reduction agreements that reined in spending and introduced pay-as-you-go rules to restore fiscal discipline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Last month, Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to restore the outlets’ credentials, rejecting, at least at that stage, the administration’s national security rationale for yanking access.
From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026
In order to unlock space for thousands of homes, developers would pay money that could create new wetlands, fund deer culls and restore rivers.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
That makes it important to better understand both what causes sluggish bowel function and which strategies can help restore normal digestion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
Stuart had to climb onto the pile of books again and dive for the bell to restore order.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
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
Federal Court in Washington, D.C. asking for a temporary restraining order that restores their access immediately while the case is heard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Working alongside a largely forgotten network of women, she arranged training, negotiated visa rules, raised funds and corresponded with colleagues in Berlin and Jerusalem—the practical education in politics that Mr. Meyer restores to view.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
This result suggests that the approach restores the way proteins function rather than simply increasing or decreasing how much of each protein is present.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 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
Malcolm could be among the violent criminals who are automatically released early under recent Scottish government proposals - but for now, Amy says her faith in the justice system has been restored.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Federal troops were patrolling Mekelle and manning key institutions on Sunday, a local journalist told AFP, as communications were restored for the first time in more than a week.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The state’s 2023 brownfield law offers liability protections to developers once an approved cleanup site is restored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Blocking TGF-β signaling, which plays a role in communication between cells and in tissue remodeling, restored pericyte coverage while reducing fibrosis and amyloid around blood vessels.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Through my father’s exertions a part of the inheritance of Elizabeth had been restored to her by the Austrian government.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
She’s up against similar issues now, after a federal judge ruled against restoring early voting sites on several college campuses in her state earlier this year.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
He said Thursday that he hoped the North would "join us now on the path of restoring trust and resuming dialogue, following a long interruption" -- a day after the military demanded an apology.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Studland Bay Marine Partnership is made up of conservation charities, boating organisations, academics, statutory bodies, community groups and businesses, with the aim of restoring Studland's seagrass.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Rentner’s group focuses on restoring pieces of the natural floodplains to absorb water again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
The model at the foot of the bed bleeds away and is a long time restoring itself.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
