refill

1 of 2

verb

re·​fill (ˌ)rē-ˈfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
refilled; refilling; refills
Synonyms of refillnext

transitive verb

: to fill again : replenish

intransitive verb

: to become filled again
refillable
(ˌ)rē-ˈfi-lə-bəl How to pronounce refill (audio)
adjective

refill

2 of 2

noun

re·​fill ˈrē-ˌfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
1
: a product or a container and a product used to refill the exhausted supply of a device
2
: something provided again
especially : a second or later filling of a medical prescription

Examples of refill in a Sentence

Verb He refilled his glass from the nearby pitcher. The reservoir will refill once it begins raining.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The athletic department had cooling and water-refilling stations set up for Friday’s event, Burk said, but determined that communication was lacking about where to go for water. — Idaho Statesman, 6 Aug. 2026 As such, customers can refill prescriptions at other Walgreens locations or have their prescriptions delivered. — Ahmed Jawadi, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
Designed for high-volume printing without costly cartridge refills, the HP Smart Tank 5100 includes up to 6,000 pages of black or color ink right out of the box. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 But the need for prescription refills fits into an even broader strategy for large retail pharmacy networks that have been betting the weight-loss drug boom, even at low margins, will pay off for their businesses. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refill

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of refill was in 1615

Rhymes for refill

See All Rhymes for refill

Browse Nearby Words

refile
refill
refilm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refill. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

refill

1 of 2 verb
re·​fill (ˈ)rē-ˈfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
: to fill or become filled again
refillable
-ˈfil-ə-bəl How to pronounce refill (audio)
adjective

refill

2 of 2 noun
re·​fill ˈrē-ˌfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
: a new or fresh supply of something
a refill for a ball-point pen

Medical Definition

refill

1 of 2 transitive verb
re·​fill (ˈ)rē-ˈfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
: to fill (a prescription) a second or subsequent time

refill

2 of 2 noun
re·​fill ˈrē-ˌfil How to pronounce refill (audio)
1
: a replacement in a cavity of removed liquid or other material or a substitution (as of gas) for such material
pneumothorax refill
2
: a prescription compounded and dispensed for a second or subsequent time without an order from the physician

More from Merriam-Webster on refill

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for refill

Nglish: Translation of refill for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All