restore

IPA/rɪˈstɔː(r)/
KK[rɪstˈɔr]IPA/rɪˈstɔːr/

restore — verb

  • restorepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • restoreshe / she / it
  • restoredpast simple
  • restoring-ing form

1. to clean, repair, or rebuild an old or damaged object until it looks or works th

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to clean, repair, or rebuild an old or damaged object until it looks or works the way it did when new.

Example

Christopher spent two years restoring the old wooden sailing boat he found in a barn.

restore + [object needing repair]

The museum hired a specialist to restore the damaged 18th-century painting.

Common collocations
  • restore a building
  • restore furniture
  • restore a painting
  • carefully restore
  • professionally restored
Synonyms
  • renovate

    often means updating to modern standards rather than returning to an original state

  • repair

    fixing something broken; less focused on returning to an original condition than restore

  • refurbish

    making something look clean and new again, especially furniture or buildings

Antonyms
  • damage

    to harm the condition of something

  • destroy

    to completely ruin something beyond repair

Grammar Patterns

restore + [physical object needing repair]

be restored by [specialist or crafts person]

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive voice when the focus is on the specialist or crafts person doing the work: 'The fresco was restored by a team of experts.'

Common Mistakes

I restored my phone by buying a new case.
I repaired my phone by replacing the screen.
'Restore' implies returning something to its original condition, not a basic fix or adding accessories.
She restored the room by painting it pink.
She restored the room by uncovering the original 1920s wallpaper.
'Restore' means going back to an original state, not simply redecorating.

2. to make a positive feeling, situation, or physical ability come back again after

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a positive feeling, situation, or physical ability come back again after it has been lost or weakened.

Example

A good night's sleep restored Nia's energy so she could continue her hike.

restore + [abstract noun like energy/strength]

The therapist's exercises helped restore movement in Gabriel's injured shoulder.

Common collocations
  • restore confidence
  • restore trust
  • restore order
  • restore peace
  • restore sight
  • restore health
  • restore faith
Synonyms
  • revive

    focuses on bringing back consciousness, energy, or interest; more dramatic than restore

  • bring back

    less formal, used in everyday speech

  • renew

    suggests making something feel fresh or new again, not just returning to how it was

Antonyms
  • weaken

    to make a quality or ability less strong

  • undermine

    to gradually make something less confident or effective

Grammar Patterns

restore + [abstract noun] (confidence, trust, health, sight, peace)

Usage Note

Common objects include: confidence, trust, faith, hope, sight, hearing, strength, health, peace, order, and dignity. The subject is often an experience, treatment, action, or event — not necessarily a person.

Common Mistakes

The medicine restored me.
The medicine restored my strength.
'Restore' needs an object; you must say what quality or ability came back.
I restored from the illness quickly.
I recovered from the illness quickly.
'Restore' is transitive; 'recover' is intransitive and is the correct word for getting better on your own.

3. to begin using a law, custom, or method once more after a period of not using it

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to begin using a law, custom, or method once more after a period of not using it.

Example

The school decided to restore the old tradition of a yearly sports day.

restore + [tradition/practice]

Yuna's company restored flexible working hours after employees complained about the fixed schedule.

Common collocations
  • restore a tradition
  • restore a law
  • restore a custom
  • restore a practice
  • restore a system
Synonyms
  • reintroduce

    more explicit about something being brought in again; often used with laws and policies

  • reinstate

    more formal, often used for rules, rights, or positions

  • re-establish

    suggests rebuilding a system or relationship from a firmer base

Antonyms
  • abolish

    to officially end a law, system, or practice

  • discontinue

    to stop using or providing something

Grammar Patterns

restore + [law, tradition, custom, system, practice]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (REPAIR / RENOVATE): sense 1 deals with physical objects being fixed, while sense 3 deals with non-physical systems, customs, or laws being brought back into operation.

Common Mistakes

The school restored the broken windows.' (when you meant sense 1)
The school repaired the broken windows.
Use 'restore' in sense 3 only for non-physical things like traditions or rules.
They restored the old tradition back.
They restored the old tradition.
'Restore' already includes the idea of 'back'; do not add 'back' after it.

4. to return possession of an item to its rightful owner, especially after it went

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to return possession of an item to its rightful owner, especially after it went missing or was taken away.

Example

The police restored the stolen paintings to the museum within a week.

restore + [stolen item] + to + [place] — formal/legal context

A kind stranger restored Meera's lost wallet to her after finding it on the bus.

Common collocations
  • restore property
  • restore artifacts
  • restore land
  • restore stolen goods
  • restore to its owner
Synonyms
  • return

    less formal, used in everyday situations

  • give back

    informal, used in everyday speech

  • hand back

    informal, often used when a person physically passes something to another

Antonyms
  • steal

    to take something that belongs to someone else

  • confiscate

    to officially take something away, often by authority

  • withhold

    to refuse to give something back

Grammar Patterns

restore + [lost/stolen item] + to + [person/place]

Usage Note

More formal than 'give back' or 'return'. Common in legal and official contexts. Often used with the pattern: restore [item] to [owner/person/place]. Frequently appears in news reports about stolen art, cultural heritage, or land rights.

Common Mistakes

She restored the book to the library shelf.
She returned the book to the library shelf.
'Restore' to mean 'give back' is for stolen or lost items, not for routine returns.
The police restored him his wallet.
The police restored his wallet to him.
'Restore' requires 'to' before the recipient.

Word family

  • restoration
    nounB2
  • restorative
    adjectiveC1
  • restorer
    nounC1
  • restorative
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe making something return after it has gone away or weakened, but they differ in use. 'Restore' (sense 2) is the most general and formal: it suggests returning something to a previous good state — especially a quality, ability, or feeling — often through deliberate effort. 'Revive' is more dramatic, often used for bringing back consciousness (revive a collapsed runner) or fading interest (revive a dying tradition). 'Renew' emphasizes making something feel fresh or starting again (renew a friendship, renew a contract), not just returning to how it was. 'Bring back' is the informal alternative for everyday conversation (bring back old memories, bring back a fashion style). For example: a good night's sleep can restore your energy; a cold drink can revive you on a hot day; a conversation can renew a friendship; and a song can bring back happy memories.

restore ↗revive ↗renew ↗bring back ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • restoration project
  • restoration work
  • restoration process
  • restoration of confidence
  • restoration of order
  • restoration of rights

Adverbs

  • fully restored
  • carefully restored
  • partially restored
  • quickly restored
  • completely restored
  • painstakingly restored

Phrases

  • restore something to its former glory
  • restore law and order
  • restore someone's faith in something

Prepositions

  • restore to
  • restore by

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'restore' comes from the Latin 'restaurare', meaning 'to repair, rebuild, or renew'. It entered English through Old French 'restorer' in the 1300s. The core idea of 'putting something back the way it was' has stayed consistent across all four modern senses.