refurbish
ree-FER-bish
/ˌriːˈfɜːrbɪʃ/
To renovate and redecorate something, especially to restore it to a functional or 'like-new' condition.
In the tech world, 'refurbished' usually means a product was returned, inspected, repaired if necessary, and then resold.
The story behind the word. The word comes from the prefix 're-' (again) and the Old French 'fourbir,' which means 'to polish' or 'to clean.' It was originally used in the context of cleaning and polishing armor to make it shine like new again.
Word relationships
- renovate: Renovate is more commonly used for buildings, while refurbish is used for equipment or furniture.
- dilapidate: To cause something to fall into a state of disrepair or ruin.
Commonly confused with
- repair: Repair means to fix what is broken; refurbish means to restore the entire item to a high standard.
Word family
- refurbishment (noun): The act of refurbishing.
Collocations
- refurbished electronics
- factory refurbished
- thoroughly refurbish
Example sentences
- "By choosing to refurbish existing hardware, the company significantly reduced its carbon footprint." Sustainability reporting.
- "The manufacturer offers a one-year warranty on all its refurbished laptops." Consumer electronics.
Memory hook
Think of 're-fur-bish' as giving a 'fur' coat a 'new polish' to make it look expensive again. Polish again.
When not to use
Don't use it for a simple cleaning; it implies a more thorough restoration or repair.
Fun facts
- Buying refurbished electronics can save up to 70% of the energy required to manufacture a new device.
Explore more words
renovation, rejuvenate, restoration, rehabilitate, revitalize, restore
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