Refresh

How to spell refresh

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce refresh

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does refresh mean?

1. verbTo restore energy, renew something, or update displayed information.

Refresh in a sentence

• A short nap can refresh you before the evening shift.

• Click the icon to refresh the page and load the latest figures.

Where does refresh come from?

Language of origin: French

This word reached English in the late 1300s from the Old French refreschir, also written refreschier, which meant 'to make fresh or cool again'. It was built from the prefix re-, meaning 'again', joined to the adjective fres or fresche, meaning 'fresh, cool, new'; that adjective was itself of Germanic origin and is a close relative of the modern English word 'fresh'. The earliest English uses leaned on the literal idea of cooling and reviving a tired or overheated body with rest, food, or drink. Over time the meaning broadened to cover renewing the memory, restoring supplies, and, much later, reloading information on a screen. Because the spelling simply stacks the familiar prefix re- onto the everyday word 'fresh', it rarely causes trouble, though the single medial -f- (not a doubled one) is the only point worth noticing.

How the word is built

• re- (again)
• fresh (cool, new, restored)