rejuvenate

verb

re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt 

rejuvenated; rejuvenating

transitive verb

1

a

: to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to

b

: to restore to an original or new state

rejuvenate old cars

2

a

: to stimulate (a stream) to renewed erosive activity especially by uplift

b

: to develop youthful features of topography in

intransitive verb

: to cause or undergo rejuvenescence

rejuvenator

ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," with the Latin parent of juvenile and junior—juvenis, meaning "young." Rejuvenate literally means "to make young again" and can imply a restoration of physical or mental strength or a return to a more youthful, healthy condition. Things that are timeworn can also be rejuvenated.

Did you know?

Juvenis, Latin for "young", can be seen in a word such as juvenile. Rejuvenation is something that can be carried out on a creaky old house, a clunker of a car, a sluggish career, a weak economy, or a company that's lost its edge, but rejuvenate and rejuvenation are probably used most often for talking about our physical selves. Ads for lotions promise skin rejuvenation; diet-book covers show rejuvenated (or maybe just young) models bursting with health. We still seem to be searching for that "Fuente de la Juventud" that Juan Ponce de León failed to discover five hundred years ago.

Synonyms

• freshen
• recharge
• recreate
• refresh
• refreshen
• regenerate
• renew
• repair
• restore
• resuscitate
• revitalize
• revive
• revivify

Choose the Right Synonym for rejuvenate

renew, restore, refresh, renovate, rejuvenate mean to make like new.

renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new.

efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle

restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

restored a fine piece of furniture

refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

a refreshing drink

renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.

the apartment has been entirely renovated

rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits

Examples of rejuvenate in a Sentence

The spa treatment rejuvenated me.

Each candidate claims to have a plan to rejuvenate the sagging economy.

Her efforts to rejuvenate her career have so far been unsuccessful.

Recent Examples on the Web

Letting go or paying it forward to those in need will be rejuvenating. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024

The book positively rejuvenated the composer Richard Wagner. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

They’re loaded with a brightening and rejuvenating blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Nov. 2024

These periods mark natural changes and align with human impulses to plant, restore and rejuvenate landscapes. —Tammy Sons, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

re- + Latin juvenis young — more at young

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

rejuvenate

verb

re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt 

rejuvenated; rejuvenating

: to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to

rejuvenation

-ˌjü-və-ˈnā-shən 

noun

rejuvenator

-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

rejuvenate

verb

re·​ju·​ve·​nate ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt 

rejuvenated; rejuvenating

transitive verb

: to make young or youthful again

specifically : to restore sexual vigor in (as by hormones or an operation)

intransitive verb

: to cause or undergo a renewal of youthfulness

rejuvenation

ri-ˌjü-və-ˈnā-shən, ˌrē- 

noun

rejuvenator

ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt-ər 

noun