1. (v. t.) To reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy; to separate from extraneous matter; to purify; to defecate; as, to refine gold or silver; to refine iron; to refine wine or sugar.

2. (v. t.) To purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish; as, to refine the manners, the language, the style, the taste, the intellect, or the moral feelings.

3. (v. i.) To become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.

4. (v. i.) To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.

5. (v. i.) To affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language.

abate abrade abstract acculturate advance ameliorate amend bate beautify better bolt boost bring forward carve chisel civilize clarify cleanse clear colliquate concentrate convert cultivate curtail decoct decontaminate decrassify decrease deduct defrost depreciate depurate derogate detract develop diminish disparage distill drain eat away edify educate edulcorate elaborate elevate elute embellish emend enhance enlighten enrich erode essentialize evolve excite express extract fatten favor file away filter filtrate finish flux focus forward foster fuse go straight grow harvest hone impair improve improve upon infuse lard leach lessen lift lixiviate machine make an improvement make sensitive mature meliorate melt melt down mend mill mine narrow nurture oversimplify percolate perfect polish press out process promote pump purify quicken raise rear rectify reduce reduce to elements refine upon reform remove render retrench ripen round rub away run screen season sensibilize sensitize separate sharpen shorten sieve sift simplify sleek slick smelt smooth soak socialize spiritualize steep stimulate stir straighten out strain streamline strip down subduct sublimate sublime subtilize subtract take away take from thaw thin thin out transfigure transform try unfreeze upgrade uplift wear away weed whet winnow withdraw wring wring out