Meaning & use
replenishing
Last updated
“replenishing” is a form of “replenish”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Present participle of replenish: making something full or well supplied again after it has been used.
Grammar: Takes an object: replenishing the stock, replenishing supplies.
Patterns
- replenishing something
- replenishing something with something
Volunteers are replenishing the food bank's shelves after the holiday rush.
She is replenishing her water bottle at the fountain.
The staff are replenishing supplies each morning.
adjectivebefore a noun
Restoring energy, nutrients or resources that have been lost.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a replenishing meal.
Patterns
- a replenishing drink
- replenishing for the skin
After the hike, a replenishing bowl of soup was exactly right.
The cream has a replenishing effect on dry skin.
Sleep is replenishing for body and mind.
Word forms
| base form | replenish |
|---|---|
| third person singular | replenishes |
| past tense | replenished |
Common combinations
- replenishing supplies
- The shop is replenishing supplies after the sale.
- replenishing stocks
- Fishermen are replenishing stocks in the lake.
- replenishing energy
- Eating is key to replenishing energy.
- replenishing moisture
- The lotion is good for replenishing moisture.
- replenishing sleep
- A replenishing sleep helps recovery.
Synonyms and how they differ
- refilling
- Refilling is simpler and used for containers, while replenishing is broader and covers stocks and energy.
- restocking
- Restocking applies only to goods in a shop or store, not to energy or water.
- restoring
- Restoring means returning something to its earlier state, not necessarily by adding supplies.
- topping up
- Topping up is informal and suggests adding a little to something nearly full.
Opposites
Word family
- replenish verb
- to fill again
- replenishment noun
- the act of refilling
- replete adjective
- well filled or stocked
- plenty noun
- a large amount, related by origin
Commonly confused: replenishing or replete?
replenishing vs replete
Replete means full of something already; replenish means to fill again after use.
Practice
After the marathon, the runners were ____ their energy with fruit and water.
Choose one answer.
Replenishing means restoring what has been used. Depleting and draining mean using up energy, which is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “replenishing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.