Meaning & use
refill
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To fill a container or space again after it has become empty or partly empty.
Grammar: Takes an object: refill the glass.
Patterns
- refill something
- refill something with something
Could you refill my water bottle, please?
He refilled the car's tank at the gas station.
The nurse refilled the syringe with medicine.
nouncountable
An additional amount of something, such as a drink or medication, used to fill a container again.
Grammar: Countable: a refill, two refills.
Patterns
- a refill of something
- ask for a refill
- get a refill
The waiter offered me a free refill of coffee.
I need to pick up a refill of my prescription at the pharmacy.
This pen comes with two refills.
Word forms
| third person singular | refills |
|---|---|
| past tense | refilled |
| past participle | refilled |
| -ing form | refilling |
| plural | refills |
Common combinations
- refill a glass
- She refilled his glass with juice.
- refill a prescription
- The doctor authorized the pharmacy to refill the prescription.
- ask for a refill
- We asked for a refill of our drinks.
- free refill
- The restaurant offers free refills on soda.
- refill station
- There is a water refill station near the entrance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- replenish
- Replenish is more formal and often used for supplies or energy, while refill is used for containers and drinks.
- top up
- Top up means to add a small amount to make something full, often used for drinks or phone credit; refill suggests filling again from empty.
Opposites
Word family
- fill verb
- To make something full.
- refillable adjective
- Can be filled again.
- refilling noun
- The act of filling something again.
Commonly confused: refill or refile?
refill vs refile
Refile means to put documents back into a filing system, while refill means to fill a container again.
Practice
The coffee shop offers a free ______ on all hot drinks.
Choose one answer.
Refill is the noun meaning an additional amount to fill a container again. Refile is about filing documents, refillable is an adjective, and refilling is a noun but would not fit the phrase 'a free refilling' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “refill”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.