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Meaning & use

refuel

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌriːˈfjʊəl/
US/ˌriːˈfjuːəl/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    To put more fuel into a vehicle, aircraft, or machine so it can keep going.

    Grammar: Can take an object (refuel the plane) or stand alone (the plane refueled).

    Patterns

    • refuel something
    • refuel at a place
    • refuel with something

    We stopped to refuel the car before leaving the city.

    The plane refueled in Iceland before crossing the Atlantic.

    The trucks refuel with diesel at the depot each morning.

  2. verbtransitive or intransitivefigurative

    To restore someone's energy or motivation, especially with food, rest, or encouragement.

    Grammar: Often figurative; can take an object (refuel the team) or be used alone (time to refuel).

    Patterns

    • refuel someone
    • refuel with something
    • stop to refuel

    A short break and a good meal refueled the whole crew.

    She refuels with a run and a coffee between meetings.

    After weeks of hard work, he needed time to refuel.

Word forms

third person singularrefuels
past tenserefueled
past participlerefueled
-ing formrefueling
British past tenserefuelled
British -ing formrefuelling

Common combinations

stop to refuel
We stopped to refuel halfway through the trip.
refuel a vehicle
It takes ten minutes to refuel a vehicle this size.
refuel in midair
Military jets can refuel in midair during long missions.
refuel with food
The hikers refueled with bread and cheese at the summit.
time to refuel
After the conference, she took a day off to refuel.

Synonyms and how they differ

fill up
Informal and common for cars; refuel is more neutral and also used for aircraft and machines.
top up
Means adding a small amount to reach full; refuel suggests adding fuel more generally.
recharge
Used mainly for batteries and figuratively for people; refuel is used for engines and energy.

Word family

fuel noun
The substance burned to produce power.
fueling noun
The act of supplying fuel.
refueling noun
The process of adding fuel, often used before another noun.

Commonly confused: refuel or refuse? refuel or fuel?

refuel vs refuse

Looks similar but means to say no or to reject; refuel is about adding fuel.

refuel vs fuel

Fuel is the substance; refuel is the action of adding it.

Practice

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