fresh

Q: What does "fresh" mean?

1. (new or recent) made, received, or finished very recently. 2. (not preserved or spoiled) food that is not frozen, canned, or starting to go bad. 3. (not salty) water that does not contain salt, like the water in a lake or river. 4. (rested and energetic) feeling full of energy and ready to start again after a rest. 5. (cool and clean) air or weather that is cool, clean, and pleasant. 6. (rude or cheeky) behaving in a way that is a bit rude or shows a lack of respect. 7. (cool or fashionable) very good, stylish, or impressive. 8. (very recently) just recently happened.

Word

01new or recent

A2 · Elementary

adj. made, received, or finished very recently.

adj. newly produced, obtained, or experienced; having occurred or been made only a short time ago.

“The bakery sells fresh bread every morning at six o'clock.”

“The detective looked for fresh tracks in the mud, hoping the rain hadn't yet washed away the suspect's trail.”

Synonyms

new recent latest

Antonyms

old stale

02not preserved or spoiled

A2 · Elementary Cooking

adj. food that is not frozen, canned, or starting to go bad.

adj. referring to food in its natural state; not preserved by canning, freezing, or drying, and not showing signs of decay.

“I prefer using fresh tomatoes instead of the ones from a tin.”

“The chef insists on sourcing fresh seafood daily from local markets to ensure the highest quality for the evening service.”

Synonyms

raw natural

Antonyms

frozen canned rotten

03not salty

B1 · Intermediate Science

adj. water that does not contain salt, like the water in a lake or river.

adj. of water: not containing salt; non-saline.

“Many animals live in fresh water and cannot survive in the ocean.”

“The expedition struggled to find a reliable source of fresh water after their primary desalination unit failed mid-journey.”

Synonyms

pure

Antonyms

salty saline

04rested and energetic

B1 · Intermediate

adj. feeling full of energy and ready to start again after a rest.

adj. rested and invigorated; having regained energy after a period of sleep or relaxation.

“I feel fresh and ready for work after my holiday in the mountains.”

“After a brief nap and a cup of coffee, the pilot felt fresh enough to complete the final leg of the long-haul flight.”

Synonyms

rested revived alert

Antonyms

tired exhausted

05cool and clean

B1 · Intermediate

adj. air or weather that is cool, clean, and pleasant.

adj. of weather or air: invigoratingly cool, clean, and refreshing.

“She opened the window to let some fresh air into the stuffy room.”

“The morning was bright and fresh, with a light breeze that carried the scent of pine from the nearby forest.”

Synonyms

crisp refreshing bracing

Antonyms

stuffy stale

06rude or cheeky

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

adj. behaving in a way that is a bit rude or shows a lack of respect.

adj. behaving in a disrespectful, cheeky, or overly confident manner. Often used to describe a younger person's attitude toward an elder.

“Don't get fresh with me, young man; watch your tone.”

“The teacher warned the student that getting fresh in class would result in an immediate detention.”

Synonyms

cheekyimpudentdisrespectful

Antonyms

polite respectful

07cool or fashionable

C1 · Advanced Slang

adj. very good, stylish, or impressive.

adj. excellent, stylish, or highly fashionable. This sense is heavily associated with hip-hop culture and urban slang.

“Those new trainers you bought are really fresh.”

“The DJ played a selection of fresh tracks that kept the crowd dancing until the early hours of the morning.”

Synonyms

cool stylish dope

Antonyms

uncool dated

08very recently

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adv. just recently happened.

adv. recently or newly; used to indicate that an action has just been completed.

“Be careful where you sit; that is fresh painted wood.”

“The fresh baked aroma of the pastries drew customers in from the street before the shop had even officially opened.”

Usage

Usually placed before a past participle acting as an adjective.

Synonyms

newly recently

From Middle English fressh, from Old English fersċ (“fresh, pure, sweet”), from Proto-West Germanic frisk (“fresh”), from Proto-Germanic friskaz (“fresh”), from Proto-Indo-European *preysk- (“fresh”). The verb is from Middle English freshen (“to freshen”), from the adjective. Cognate with Scots fresch (“fresh”), West Frisian farsk (“fresh”), Dutch vers (“fresh”), Walloon frexh (“fresh”), German frisch (“fresh”), French frais (“fresh”), Norwegian and Danish frisk (“fresh”), fersk, Icelandic ferskur (“fresh”), Lithuanian prėskas (“unflavoured, tasteless, fresh”), Russian пре́сный (présnyj, “sweet, fresh, unleavened, tasteless”). Doublet of fresco and frisk. Slang sense possibly shortened form of “fresh out the pack”, 1980s routine by Grand Wizzard Theodore.

First use appears c. 1848, US slang, probably from German frech (“impudent, cheeky, insolent”), from Middle High German vrech (“bold, brave, lively”), from Old High German freh (“greedy, eager, avaricious, covetous”), from Proto-West Germanic frek, from Proto-Germanic frekaz (“greedy, outrageous, courageous, capable, active”), from Proto-Indo-European *preg- (“to be quick, twitch, sprinkle, splash”). Cognate with Old English frec (“greedy; eager, bold, daring; dangerous”) and Danish fræk (“naughty”). More at freak.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

fresh(A2)

freshwater(B2)

refreshing(B1)