1
Refill a supply
Add material to replace what has been used.
Example
Rainfall replenished the reservoir after months of decline.
replenish
/rɪˈplenɪʃ/ · rih-PLEN-ishverb
To refill, restore, or resupply something that has been used or depleted.
Use replenish when a diminished store, resource, population, or reserve is brought back toward an adequate level.
What replenish Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Restore nutrients or energy
Return substances or capacity lost through activity.
Example
Rotating crops helps replenish nitrogen in the soil.
3
Resupply a population or stock
Increase a diminished reserve or group.
Example
The hatchery aims to replenish native fish populations.
Use replenish Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Rainfall replenished the reservoir after months of decline.
Rotating crops helps replenish nitrogen in the soil.
The hatchery aims to replenish native fish populations.
Precision Matters
Replenish overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
replenish
vs.Restores a reduced supply.
deplete
Uses up or diminishes it—the contrast.
replenish
vs.Refills what has been lost.
augment
Adds to an amount whether or not it was depleted.
replenish
vs.Restores a supply or reserve.
nurture
Supports gradual growth through care.
replenish
vs.Replaces what use removes.
consumption
Is the use or intake itself.
Test replenish in Context
The floods restore substances that cultivation has taken away.
1
Seasonal floods deposit nutrient-rich sediment that helps to ___ minerals removed from the soil by each year's crops.