refund
gb/ɹˈifˌʌnd/ us/ɹˈifˌʌnd/
A2
English
~ 5000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Money returned for a purchase
Money that a shop or company gives back to you when you return something or paid too much.
Usage pattern:
[someone] gets a refund for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'refund' with 'discount'. A discount is a reduction in price before buying, while a refund is money returned after buying.
Synonyms
reimbursement (More formal, often used in business or official contexts.)
Antonyms
payment (Refers to giving money rather than getting it back.)
Collocations
full refund
|partial refund
|request a refund
|issue a refund
|money-back refund
Themes
business
|shopping
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- The store gave me a full refund after I returned the shoes.
- You can request a refund if the product is defective.
- Customers are entitled to a refund within 30 days of purchase.
- I received a refund for the concert tickets when the event was canceled.
Learner examples
- I got a refund for my broken phone.
- The shop gave me a refund.
- She asked for a refund for the dress.
- He got a refund after he returned the book.
Verb
B1
action
2
To give money back to someone
To give someone their money back when they return something or paid too much.
Usage pattern:
to refund [someone] [amount] / to refund [amount] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'return' instead of 'refund' when talking about giving money back, but 'return' usually refers to giving an item back, not money.
Synonyms
reimburse (More formal, often used in business or insurance contexts.)
Antonyms
charge (To require someone to pay money rather than returning it.)
Collocations
refund the money
|refund the cost
|refund the ticket price
|fully refund
Themes
business
|shopping
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- The company refunded me the full amount.
- They refused to refund the ticket price after the deadline.
- We will refund your payment within five business days.
Learner examples
- The store will refund my money.
- They refunded me for the shoes.
- He will refund the ticket price.
Grammar
Dictionary form
refund
IPA
GB/ɹˈifˌʌnd/
US/ɹˈifˌʌnd/
Syllables & stress
re - fund (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (re)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: refund
- Plural: refund, refunds
Verb
- Base: refund
- 3rd Person Singular: refunds
- Present Participle: refunding
- Past: refunded
Word family
Forms
refunds
noun
refunding
verb
refunded
verb
Core family
refundable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
non-refundable
adjective
Related words
reimburse
verb B2
reimbursement
noun B2
Expressions
ask for a refund
1/ˈæsk fɚ ə ɹˈifˌʌnd/
fixed phrase
Request money back from seller
To tell a shop or company you want your money back for something you bought.
Examples
- If the product is faulty, you should ask for a refund.
- She went to the counter to ask for a refund.
get a refund
1/ɡˈɛt ə ɹˈifˌʌnd/
fixed phrase
Receive returned money from seller
To receive your money back from a shop or company after returning something.
Examples
- I got a refund for the damaged table.
- You can get a refund if you have the receipt.
issue a refund
1/ˈɪʃu ə ɹˈifˌʌnd/
fixed phrase
Seller gives money back to customer
When a shop or company gives you your money back.
Examples
- The airline issued a refund after canceling the flight.
- They will issue a refund within seven days.