# replenish

/ɹiˈpɫɛnɪʃ/ (US) · /ɹɪplˈɛnɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/replenish
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. to fill completely

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal · Literary

to fill a space or a place completely with people or things.

For teachers: to fill up or occupy a space fully. This sense is largely restricted to formal or biblical contexts in modern English.

- The travelers were told to go forth and replenish the new land.
- The ancient decree commanded the settlers to replenish the earth, establishing communities across the fertile plains.

Usage: In modern contexts, this sense is almost exclusively found in quotations or religious texts.

Teaching tip: Learners will likely only encounter this sense in the phrase 'replenish the earth' from the Bible; in all other cases, they should use 'populate'populate' or 'fill'.

## Examples

- I need to replenish my water bottle before the hike.
- The hotel staff works quickly to replenish the breakfast buffet as soon as the food runs low.
- Ecologists warn that the local aquifer cannot replenish itself at the current rate of extraction, leading to a permanent drop in the water table.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.