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:
If the insurer approved a repair that was never adequate to restore the roof to its previous condition, that could become a key issue in any appeal by your son.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
To counter the growing threat across Fae territories, Prythian’s fractured Night Court must overcome internal rifts and recent betrayals to restore former alliances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We are working hard to restore access to these important features as quickly as possible," he wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
It said drinking water supplies to about 800 properties in the area were currently affected but it was working to restore provisions.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
She placed her hands on his chest, trying to restore his heartbeat, but it was no good.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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
Absent a drastic shift in policymaking that restores Indonesia’s reputation abroad, more pain could lie ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 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
He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
A few blocks away, Sloppy Joe's is closed too, despite being extensively restored by the team of Havana's famed historian, Eusebio Leal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Back to full health, and her confidence in her ability fully restored, Hunt is now realising her full potential - and beginning to transcend the sport in the process.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“She’s All That” star Tamara Mello and her husband, Emmy Award-winning TV editor Paolo Cascardo, are parting ways with their thoughtfully restored Los Angeles home—as they prepare to relocate across the country to Florida.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
China, which buys oil from Iran and has influence over it, said as recently as May that “normal and safe passage” through the strait should be restored.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
It was nothing short of magical, and restored her spirits even more than sleep could.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Cascino put many hours and around $1,000 into restoring the Lumina, and his grandfather got to see the car win a few trophies before he died in 2019.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
His organization is already restoring native plants and rebuilding natural waterways in parts of the peninsula.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Speaking in Berlin on the same day, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of junior coalition partner the centre-left SPD offered a radically different vision, centred on restoring rivers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Volunteers have taken on the mammoth task of restoring an old observatory to its former glory.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Guess what? I finished restoring an old Coke machine today. Thing is like seventy years old.”
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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.
