refine

améliorer, affiner

Rendre quelque chose meilleur par de petites modifications soignées.

En anglais simple : To improve something by making small, careful changes.

• We need to refine our plan.
• She refined the design after testing it.
• You can refine your technique with practice.

Synonymes : improve, polish, perfect

Expressions courantes : refine a plan, refine a design, refine your technique

raffiner

Retirer les substances indésirables d’un aliment ou d’une autre matière.

En anglais simple : To remove unwanted substances from food or other materials.

• Factories refine sugar before selling it.
• The plant refines oil into fuel.
• How do they refine these raw materials?

Comment l'utiliser : refine something into something (This plant refines crude oil into usable fuels.)

Synonymes : purify, process

Expressions courantes : refine sugar, refine oil, refine raw materials, refine gold

raffiner, polir

Rendre les manières ou les goûts de quelqu’un plus polis, élégants ou agréables.

En anglais simple : To make someone’s behaviour or taste more polite, graceful, or pleasing.

• She tried to refine his manners.
• Travel helped refine her taste in art.
• He refined his speech for formal occasions.

Synonymes : polish, cultivate

Expressions courantes : refine your manners, refine your taste, refine someone’s speech