replenished; replenishing; replenishes
Synonyms of replenish

transitive verb

1
: to fill or build up again
replenish a supply of fuel
… London's population was continually being replenished with recruits from the countryside …—Barbara A. Hanawalt
… most of her income will be used to replenish the family's almost-depleted savings.—Louis Uchitelle
… the fields are rotated every three years with other crops … so that the soil can replenish itself and remain nitrogen rich.—Eugenia Bone
Apparently, animals sleep to regulate body temperature, organize memories and replenish the immune system …—Sandra Blakeslee
2
a
: to fill with persons or animals
… be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth …—Genesis 1:28 (Authorized Version)
b
: to fill with inspiration or power : nourish
… the American mind should cease to replenish itself with the mighty wonders of Europe …—Van Wyck Brooks
c
archaic : to supply fully : perfect
… his hive had so long been replenished with honey …—William Wordsworth
… the most replenished villain in the world …—William Shakespeare
replenisher noun

Examples of replenish in a Sentence

An efficient staff of workers replenished the trays of appetizers almost as quickly as guests emptied them. He replenished his supply of wood in preparation for the winter. Drink this—you need to replenish your fluids after your hike. plants that replenish soil nutrients
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.
Still, China-watchers expect a new generation of officials to ascend to senior positions as the party looks to replenish top ranks thinned out by the anti-graft effort. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Faster decisions and more flexible production can let brands commit to holding less stock, replenish the hits that sell, and avoid some of the markdowns and unsold inventory that are routinely baked into seasonal forecasting. — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 Less than an hour in, helpers were being dispatched to replenish the dwindling stock of candy. — Nathaniel Levine, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026 On the more practical side, wool felt wine markers are a great assist, or pick up a fancy bag of coffee to replenish their stash. — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for replenish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English replenyssen, replenisshen "to fill, provide (with food and drink), populate," borrowed from Anglo-French repleniss-, stem of replenir "to fill, make full, refill" (also continental Old French), from re- re- + -plenir, verbal derivative of plein "full," going back to Latin plēnus — more at full entry 1

Note: In French this verb is apparently derived independently from plenir "to fill" (see plenish), which is attested later and in a very restricted geographical area. In Middle French replenir competed unsuccessfully with remplir, which effectually replaced it in Modern French.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of replenish was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Replenish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/replenish. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

replenish

verb
: to make full or complete once more
replenish a supply of fuel
replenisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on replenish

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster