Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," with the Latin parent of juvenile and junior—juvenis, meaning "young." Rejuvenate literally means "to make young again" and can imply a restoration of physical or mental strength or a return to a more youthful, healthy condition. Things that are timeworn can also be rejuvenated.
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Juvenis, Latin for "young", can be seen in a word such as juvenile. Rejuvenation is something that can be carried out on a creaky old house, a clunker of a car, a sluggish career, a weak economy, or a company that's lost its edge, but rejuvenate and rejuvenation are probably used most often for talking about our physical selves. Ads for lotions promise skin rejuvenation; diet-book covers show rejuvenated (or maybe just young) models bursting with health. We still seem to be searching for that "Fuente de la Juventud" that Juan Ponce de León failed to discover five hundred years ago.
renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new.
efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle
restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.
restored a fine piece of furniture
refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.
a refreshing drink
renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.
the apartment has been entirely renovated
rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.
the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits
Example Sentences
The spa treatment rejuvenated me. Each candidate claims to have a plan to rejuvenate the sagging economy. Her efforts to rejuvenate her career have so far been unsuccessful.
Recent Examples on the WebLong hours call for a humidifier that can rejuvenate and moisturize skin. Michelle Manetti, Good Housekeeping, 24 Aug. 2022 With an emphasis on maintaining hair health, Kenyon is sought after for his signature Colormelt technique that incorporates Balayage and HairStrobing to rejuvenate and enhance facial features while delivering covet-worthy color. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2022 The active ingredient in this hair treatment is bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, which repairs broken hair to rejuvenate its look and feel of it. Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 12 July 2022 Snail secretion contains properties that rejuvenate and repair the skin from possible irritations, breakouts and dryness. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2022 The task force also recommended transforming Solidarity Drive into a year-round plaza, creating educational programs for kids and adding large-scale art to rejuvenate the campus. Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2022 The wand uses red light therapy to rejuvenate the skin's natural luminosity and improve some fine lines and wrinkles. Alex Warner, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2022 Biden wants to rejuvenate the nuclear deal that was reached by President Barack Obama in 2015 and abandoned by Trump in 2018, but negotiations appear to have stalled. Chris Megerian, ajc, 11 July 2022 Such a unity in response could very well help rejuvenate the European Union. Cristian Gherasim, CNN, 17 June 2022 See More