restore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
restores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
restored,
past participle, past
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restoring
present participle
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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
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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
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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
-
restoressimple
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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
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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
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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:
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
The findings, published in Nature Communications, could pave the way for a new generation of dental treatments that go beyond protecting existing enamel and actually help restore its structure.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
It cannot, by itself, restore public trust or guarantee ethical leadership.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Throughout this campaign, we asked shareholders to give us the mandate to restore accountability, revitalize the business and return Ethan Allen to profitable growth,” Bergeron said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
There are still a few left—abandoned, of course, but it shouldn’t be too hard to restore one to house a single prisoner.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
In the brain, it restores signaling linked to protection against inflammation and damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Rosales restores Ever’s multi-dimensionality, reminding the world that her cousin loved mathematics and philosophy, that he never missed a day of high school, and that he was a prankster, lover, father and brother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 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
Banyan Motors, a Houston-based company that restores 20th-century German cars, says its roster of female clients rose 60% in the past two years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
She climbs the ladder and restores the heavy Audubon volumes to their shelf one at a time, as though putting away something irritating.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
If the approach proves successful in patients, it could fundamentally change how dentists address enamel loss, opening the possibility of rebuilding tooth surfaces that previously could only be protected or restored using conventional dental materials.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 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
The app developers temporarily disabled notifications before saying Monday that operations had been restored.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Most customers in the Dnipropetrovsk region had their connections restored by early evening, but more than 60,000 were still without power, the governor said.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
I try, noticing how the vibrant parts of the buildings that have been restored contrast with the faint lines and weathered walls in other areas.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Lewis, CEO of the London-listed group since the beginning of this year, has identified the U.S. as central to restoring Diageo’s momentum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
They also hope the findings will encourage scientists studying other conditions, particularly atherosclerosis, to investigate how restoring liver function might influence disease development.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Erdogan said the talks aimed at restoring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea would continue.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Agencies have pledged $2.9 billion under the program, and much of the funds will go toward restoring aquatic habitat for fish, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Sorry, sorry!” said Ron, clicking the Deluminator and restoring the lights.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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