Fresh describes something new, clean, or recently made. Fresh bread just came out of the oven and still feels warm. Fresh vegetables were picked recently and haven't started to wilt. When you put on fresh clothes in the morning, they're clean and smell good.

The word also describes things that feel energetic or alive. After a good night's sleep, you wake up feeling fresh and ready for the day. Fresh air from outside feels crisp and pleasant compared to stuffy indoor air. A fresh coat of paint makes a room look bright and renewed.

Fresh can mean original or different too. A fresh idea offers a new way of thinking about something. When a teacher asks for a fresh perspective on a story, she wants you to notice something others might have missed.

People also use fresh to describe someone being rude or disrespectful, especially to someone in authority. If a student talks back to a teacher in a sassy way, the teacher might say, “Don't get fresh with me.”