freshen

verb

fresh·​en ˈfre-shən How to pronounce freshen (audio)
freshened; freshening ˈfre-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce freshen (audio)
Synonyms of freshennext

intransitive verb

1
: to grow or become fresh: such as
a
of wind : to increase in strength
b
: to become fresh in appearance or vitality
—usually used with up
freshen up with a shower
2
of a milk animal : to begin lactating

transitive verb

: to make fresh
also : refresh, revive
freshener
ˈfre-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce freshen (audio)
noun

Synonyms of freshen

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of freshen in a Sentence

a mint that freshens the breath Can I freshen your drink?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The way your house smells does more than freshen the air. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026 Add a new dryer sheet to smelly shoes and boots to help freshen them. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 June 2026 Sometimes, a pond that has soured will be freshened by natural means. — Nelson Bryant, Outdoor Life, 20 May 2026 Safe fruits and vegetables for your dog Apples can help clean your dog's teeth and freshen their breath. — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for freshen

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of freshen was in 1532

Phrases Containing freshen

Rhymes for freshen

See All Rhymes for freshen

Browse Nearby Words

fresh breeze
freshen
freshener
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freshen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freshen. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

freshen

verb
fresh·​en ˈfresh-ən How to pronounce freshen (audio)
freshened; freshening -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce freshen (audio)
1
: to make or become fresh : refresh
freshen up with a shower
2
: to become brisk or strong
the wind freshened
3
: to brighten in appearance
freshen up a room with some color
freshener
-(ə-)nər How to pronounce freshen (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

freshen

transitive verb
fresh·​en ˈfresh-ən How to pronounce freshen (audio)
freshened; freshening ˈfresh-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce freshen (audio)
of a milk animal
: to begin lactating

More from Merriam-Webster on freshen

Nglish: Translation of freshen for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All