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renew

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To make new again.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

rihnoo

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɹɪˈnu

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Reestablish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new

    “We renewed our friendship after a hiatus of twenty years.”

  2. transitive

    To make (something) new again; to restore to freshness or original condition.

  3. transitive

    To replace (something which has broken etc.); to replenish (something which has been exhausted), to keep up a required supply of.

  4. transitive

    To begin again; to recommence.

  5. transitiveintransitive

    To extend a period of loan, especially a library book that is due to be returned.

  6. Cause to appear in a new form

noun

  1. Synonym of renewal.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To make (something) new again; to restore to freshness or original condition.

Used this way, renew is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use renew

  • “We renewed our friendship after a hiatus of twenty years.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

constantly renew

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • renewalnounDerived noun

    The conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation.

  • renewableadjectiveDerived adjective

    That can be renewed or extended.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • self-renewingadjectiveCompound term

    Of or relating to self-renewal.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • self-renewalnounRelated term

    The act of renewing yourself (or itself).

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.