refinish

verb

re·​fin·​ish (ˌ)rē-ˈfi-nish How to pronounce refinish (audio)
refinished; refinishing; refinishes

transitive verb

: to give a new surface to
refinish furniture

intransitive verb

: to refinish furniture
refinisher noun

Examples of refinish in a Sentence

She made her living repairing and refinishing wood floors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Timber floors have been refinished, and a new Portland stone entrance has been installed that fits the building’s original character. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 They have been recently refinished and are beautiful, McCahill noted. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 Since June, school leadership prepared the space for students by decorating and painting the walls in school colors, refinishing the gym floor and preparing a safe space for students to care for their mental health. — Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Because laminates use a photographic layer adhered to the core, that layer can’t be refinished in cases of damage, unlike floors like solid or engineered hardwood, which can be refinished to give a longer lifespan. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for refinish

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of refinish was in 1886

Rhymes for refinish

See All Rhymes for refinish

Browse Nearby Words

refining engine
refinish
refinisher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refinish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refinish. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

refinish

verb
re·​fin·​ish (ˈ)rē-ˈfin-ish How to pronounce refinish (audio)
: to give (as furniture) a new surface
refinisher noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All