refurbish
verb
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As seems proper given how English prefixes work, before you could refurbish something you could furbish it. That shorter word was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Anglo-French as furbisshen; it shares a distant relative with the Old High German verb furben, meaning "to polish." In its earliest uses furbish also meant "to polish," but it developed an extended sense of "to renovate" shortly before English speakers created refurbish with the same meaning in the 17th century. These days refurbish is the more common of the two words, although furbish does continue to be used.
Examples of refurbish in a Sentence
John Tuohy, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2025
The initial estimate was based on a proposal to refurbish a facility that had only been partially torn down.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
President Theodore Roosevelt modernized the White House in 1902, adding the West Wing, while previous first ladies refurbished the state rooms.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The May 1 opening revealed 134 ornate rooms and suites with subtle design accents (the pleated headboards evoke the folds of judicial robes); a 1924 refurbished teak and mahogany saloon boat; and a lobby inspired by Amsterdam’s iconic Rijksmuseum, with 10,000 pieces of art curated around the hotel.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for refurbish
Cite this Entry
“Refurbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refurbish. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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refurbish
verb
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