refresh
refresh — verb
1. to make yourself or another person feel full of energy again after being hot, ti
to make yourself or another person feel full of energy again after being hot, tired, or sleepy
After the long hike, Nkechi drank cold water to refresh herself before continuing.
refresh + reflexive pronoun (refresh oneself)
A cool shower in the morning can refresh anyone and help them start the day.
The Okonkwo family stopped at a roadside café to refresh with iced tea and snacks.
refresh with [drink/food]
Christopher felt completely refreshed after a short nap and could focus on his work again.
passive: feel refreshed
- refresh yourself
- refresh with
- feel refreshed
- need to refresh
- revive
stronger in meaning — used when someone is very weak or almost unconscious
- recharge
informal, often used for oneself ('recharge my batteries')
- freshen up
phrasal verb, usually about washing and tidying oneself, not necessarily rest
Grammar Patterns
refresh + object
refresh yourself
refresh with [drink/sleep/shower]
Usage Note
This sense works with both a direct object (refresh someone) and a reflexive pronoun (refresh yourself). It is also used intransitively without an object: 'We stopped to refresh before the final climb.' The passive form 'feel refreshed' is very common.
Common Mistakes
2. to press a button or use a keyboard command so that a website or screen loads th
to press a button or use a keyboard command so that a website or screen loads the newest data available
If the flight prices do not load, try refreshing the page after a minute.
refresh + the page (computing)
Mizuki pressed F5 to refresh her browser and saw that the email had arrived.
refresh + possessive + browser
The stock price chart on the screen refreshes automatically every few seconds.
intransitive: [subject] refreshes automatically
After the website update, users need to refresh to see the new design.
refresh used intransitively without an object
- refresh the page
- refresh the browser
- auto-refresh
- refresh button
- click to refresh
Grammar Patterns
refresh + noun phrase (page / screen / browser)
page refreshes
Usage Note
Frequently used both transitively ('refresh the page') and intransitively ('the page refreshes'). Common keyboard shortcuts include F5 on Windows and Command+R on Mac. In mobile apps, the action is often done by pulling the screen down.
Common Mistakes
3. to fill a cup, glass, or other container again, especially with a drink or liqui
to fill a cup, glass, or other container again, especially with a drink or liquid
The flight attendant came by to refresh everyone's water glasses before the meal was served.
refresh + possessive + [container]
Ritu refreshed the vase with clean water and added fresh flowers from the garden.
refresh + [container] + with + [liquid]
Could you please refresh my teacup? The tea I had earlier is almost finished.
politeness structure: Could you please refresh + [container]
The dog's water bowl needs to be refreshed twice daily in hot weather.
passive: needs to be refreshed
- refresh a glass
- refresh a cup
- refresh a bowl
- refresh with water
- needs refreshing
- empty
to make a container empty
Grammar Patterns
refresh + noun phrase (glass / cup / bowl / container)
Usage Note
When used without an object — 'Would you like me to refresh that?' — the container is understood from context. This sense is most common in service settings such as restaurants, flights, and hotels.
Common Mistakes
4. to look at or hear information again so that you remember it, especially facts y
to look at or hear information again so that you remember it, especially facts you learned before but may have partly forgotten
Before the client meeting, Dario refreshed his memory by reading last week's notes.
refresh + possessive + memory + by + [method]
Let me refresh your memory — you agreed to submit the project report by this Friday.
Let me refresh + possessive + memory (polite reminder)
Greta refreshed her knowledge of Mandarin vocabulary by watching videos during her commute.
refresh + possessive + knowledge + of + [topic]
The trainer quizzed the team to refresh their memory about safety procedures.
to refresh + possessive + memory + about + [topic]
- refresh your memory
- refresh my memory
- refresh your memory about
- refresh your memory by
Grammar Patterns
refresh + possessive + memory
refresh + possessive + memory + about/of + [topic]
Usage Note
Nearly always used with 'memory' as the object, and the memory belongs to someone ('refresh my memory', 'refresh your memory'). The verb 'remind' is more general; 'refresh your memory' is specifically about re-learning information you already knew.
Common Mistakes
refresh — noun
1. the process of changing or repairing something, especially a room, building, or
the process of changing or repairing something, especially a room, building, or piece of software, so that it looks newer or works better
The kitchen refresh cost much less than a full renovation but completely changed the look.
a + [room] + refresh (partial renovation)
The hotel lobby is undergoing a refresh with new paint, lights, and comfortable chairs.
undergo + a + refresh (formal register)
After a quick visual refresh of the homepage, the website attracted more visitors than before.
a + [adjective] + refresh + of + [noun]
The app's interface got a much-needed refresh in the latest update last month.
got + a + [adjective] + refresh (informal)
- a refresh
- get a refresh
- need a refresh
- undergo a refresh
- visual refresh
- renovation
larger in scale, often involving structural changes
- makeover
informal, focuses on appearance changes
- update
broader — can refer to information, software, or appearance
Grammar Patterns
a + refresh
undergo + a + refresh
give + noun + a + refresh
Usage Note
A 'refresh' is typically smaller in scope than a 'renovation' or 'redesign' — it focuses on making something look more modern or appealing without major structural changes. Common in design, interior decorating, and software UI contexts.
2. what happens when a cup, glass, or other container is filled once more, especial
what happens when a cup, glass, or other container is filled once more, especially with a drink
The waiter came around and offered a refresh of our coffee without being asked.
a + refresh + of + [drink]
Do you need a refresh on your drink before the movie starts in five minutes?
a + refresh + on + possessive + drink
The bartender gave free soft drink refreshes to all the designated drivers at the party.
plural: refreshes
The host gave every guest a refresh of their wine before dessert.
give + everyone + a + refresh + of + [drink]
- a refresh
- offer a refresh
- need a refresh
- refill
more common in everyday speech; 'refresh' sounds slightly more formal or polite
Grammar Patterns
a + refresh
a + refresh + of + [drink]
Usage Note
Countable — you can say 'a refresh' meaning one refill. More common in service settings (restaurants, cafés, flights) than in everyday home use, where 'refill' is the typical word.
3. the process of loading the newest data on a website or screen, or the control th
the process of loading the newest data on a website or screen, or the control that starts this process
Click the refresh button at the top of your browser to see the latest comments.
the refresh button (computing)
A quick refresh of the ticket page showed that the concert was completely sold out.
a + quick + refresh + of + [page]
If the scoreboard on the screen stops moving, try giving it a manual refresh.
give + it + a + refresh
This app needs a manual refresh after you add an item to your cart.
requires + a + [adjective] + refresh
- refresh button
- manual refresh
- auto refresh
- quick refresh
- pull to refresh
- reload
interchangeable in computing contexts
- refresh button
specific to the UI element
Grammar Patterns
a + refresh
the + refresh + of + [page/screen]
Usage Note
Can refer to both the action and the button itself. In mobile apps, the refresh function is often called 'pull to refresh'. The verb form is more common than the noun in everyday computing use.
Word family
- refreshingadjectiveB1
- refreshedadjectiveB1
- refreshmentnounB1
- refreshernounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
These words all relate to restoring energy or liveliness, but they differ in scope and formality. Refresh is the most general — it covers any action that makes someone feel less tired or hot, from drinking water to taking a nap. Revive is stronger and more dramatic: a person who has fainted needs to be revived, while a tired hiker simply needs to refresh. Recharge is informal and metaphorical, coming from the idea of charging a battery ('I need to recharge my batteries'), and is often used for longer periods of rest like weekends or vacations. Freshen up is a phrasal verb that focuses on cleaning and tidying oneself — washing one's face, changing clothes — rather than resting. For example: 'Élise refreshed herself with a cold drink,' but 'Élise freshened up before dinner by washing her face and changing into a clean shirt.'
Common collocations
Adverbs
Phrases
- hit refresh
- click refresh
- need a refresh
- give it a refresh
Prepositions
Etymology
Refresh 源自拉丁語 refrescāre，由 re-（再次）加上 frescāre（使變新鮮）組成，經古法語 refrechir 進入中古英語。最早的記錄出現在 14 世紀，指「恢復力量或精神」。電腦領域的「重新整理」用法於 1960 年代隨著陰極射線管顯示器的發展而出現，當時需要定期重新載入畫面以防止影像消失。