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Meaning & use

fresh

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/freʃ/
US/freʃ/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Newly made, picked, or caught, and still in good condition rather than stale or preserved.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: fresh bread; the fish is fresh.

    Patterns

    • fresh from something

    We bought fresh bread from the bakery this morning.

    The salad uses fresh herbs from the garden.

    Is this fish fresh or frozen?

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    New or different from what came before, and not used or tried yet.

    Grammar: Comes before a noun: a fresh start, a fresh idea.

    Patterns

    • a fresh start
    • a fresh look at something

    She turned to a fresh page and began again.

    The new manager brought fresh ideas to the team.

    After the move, they wanted a fresh start.

  3. adjectivecomparable

    Clean, cool, and pleasant, as air, water, or a smell.

    Grammar: Describes air, water, scents, or colors: fresh air.

    Open the window and let in some fresh air.

    The sheets smelled fresh and clean.

    A fresh breeze blew across the bay.

  4. adjectiveafter a verb

    Full of energy and not tired.

    Grammar: Follows a verb like feel or look: I feel fresh after the nap.

    Patterns

    • feel fresh
    • fresh from something

    I felt fresh after a good night's sleep.

    The fresh troops took over at dawn.

    She arrived looking fresh despite the long flight.

  5. adjectiveafter a verbinformalold-fashioned

    Rudely bold or too forward, especially toward an adult or a person of the opposite sex.

    Grammar: Often used with get or be, as in don't get fresh with me.

    Patterns

    • get fresh with someone

    Don't get fresh with me, young man.

    The boy was sent out for being fresh to the teacher.

    Her fresh answer made the whole class gasp.

Word forms

comparativefresher
superlativefreshest

Common combinations

fresh air
A walk in the fresh air cleared my head.
fresh start
Moving cities gave her a fresh start.
fresh water
Lakes hold fresh water, while the sea is salty.
fresh out of
Sorry, we're fresh out of milk.
fresh from
He was fresh from college and eager to prove himself.
fresh produce
The market sells fresh produce every Saturday.

Synonyms and how they differ

new
New says only that something has not existed or been used before, while fresh also hints at a clean, lively quality.
crisp
Crisp is narrower and describes firm texture or cool, sharp air, where fresh simply means not stale.
original
Original fits ideas and works that have never been done, but fresh can refer to a new try at an old thing.
rested
Rested focuses on having recovered from tiredness, whereas fresh also suggests liveliness.

Opposites

stalerottentired

Word family

freshness noun
the quality of being fresh
freshly adverb
very recently, as in freshly baked
freshen verb
to make or become fresher
freshman noun
a first-year student
refresh verb
to make fresh again

Commonly confused: fresh or afresh?

fresh vs afresh

Afresh is an adverb meaning again from the beginning, as in start afresh, not an adjective.

Practice

After weeks of the same menu, the chef decided to try a ___ approach.

Make it your own

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