diff --git a/R/class-workbook-wrappers.R b/R/class-workbook-wrappers.R
index fe3272470..806dbecb1 100644
--- a/R/class-workbook-wrappers.R
+++ b/R/class-workbook-wrappers.R
@@ -3414,6 +3414,7 @@ wb_add_fill <- function(
 #' @param shadow shadow
 #' @param extend extend
 #' @param vert_align vertical alignment
+#' @param update update
 #' @param ... ...
 #' @examples
 #'  wb <- wb_workbook() %>% wb_add_worksheet("S1") %>% wb_add_data("S1", mtcars)
@@ -3444,6 +3445,7 @@ wb_add_font <- function(
       scheme     = "",
       shadow     = "",
       vert_align = "",
+      update     = NULL,
       ...
 ) {
   assert_workbook(wb)
@@ -3466,6 +3468,7 @@ wb_add_font <- function(
     scheme     = scheme,
     shadow     = shadow,
     vert_align = vert_align,
+    update     = update,
     ...        = ...
   )
 }
diff --git a/R/class-workbook.R b/R/class-workbook.R
index 40f61409e..7e2f0a4ce 100644
--- a/R/class-workbook.R
+++ b/R/class-workbook.R
@@ -8642,6 +8642,7 @@ wbWorkbook <- R6::R6Class(
     #' @param shadow shadow
     #' @param extend extend
     #' @param vert_align vertical alignment
+    #' @param update update
     #' @return The `wbWorkbook`, invisibly
     add_font = function(
         sheet      = current_sheet(),
@@ -8662,6 +8663,7 @@ wbWorkbook <- R6::R6Class(
         scheme     = "",
         shadow     = "",
         vert_align = "",
+        update     = NULL,
         ...
     ) {
       sheet <- private$get_sheet_index(sheet)
@@ -8696,9 +8698,52 @@ wbWorkbook <- R6::R6Class(
           u = underline,
           vertAlign = vert_align
         )
-        self$styles_mgr$add(new_font, new_font)
 
         xf_prev <- get_cell_styles(self, sheet, dim[[1]])
+
+        if (length(update)) {
+          valid <- c(
+            "name", "color", "colour", "size", "bold", "italic", "outline", "strike",
+            "underline", "charset", "condense", "extend", "family", "scheme", "shadow",
+            "vert_align"
+          )
+          match.arg(update, valid, several.ok = TRUE)
+
+          font_properties <- c(
+            bold = "b",
+            charset = "charset",
+            color = "color",
+            condense = "condense",
+            extend = "extend",
+            family = "family",
+            italic = "i",
+            name = "name",
+            outline = "outline",
+            scheme = "scheme",
+            shadow = "shadow",
+            strike = "strike",
+            size = "sz",
+            underline = "u",
+            vert_align = "vertAlign"
+          )
+          sel <- font_properties[update]
+
+          font_id  <- as.integer(sapply(xml_attr(xf_prev, "xf"), "[[", "fontId")) + 1L
+          font_xml <- self$styles_mgr$styles$fonts[[font_id]]
+
+          # read as data frame with xml elements
+          old_font <- read_font(read_xml(font_xml))
+          new_font <- read_font(read_xml(new_font))
+
+          # update elements
+          old_font[sel] <- new_font[sel]
+
+          # write as xml font
+          new_font <- write_font(old_font)
+        }
+
+        self$styles_mgr$add(new_font, new_font)
+
         xf_new_font <- set_font(xf_prev, self$styles_mgr$get_font_id(new_font))
 
         self$styles_mgr$add(xf_new_font, xf_new_font)
diff --git a/man/wbWorkbook.Rd b/man/wbWorkbook.Rd
index 42fe1d887..16c9a0fb2 100644
--- a/man/wbWorkbook.Rd
+++ b/man/wbWorkbook.Rd
@@ -3360,6 +3360,7 @@ provide simple font function
   scheme = "",
   shadow = "",
   vert_align = "",
+  update = NULL,
   ...
 )}\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
@@ -3401,6 +3402,8 @@ provide simple font function
 
 \item{\code{vert_align}}{vertical alignment}
 
+\item{\code{update}}{update}
+
 \item{\code{...}}{additional arguments}
 }
 \if{html}{\out{</div>}}
diff --git a/man/wb_add_font.Rd b/man/wb_add_font.Rd
index 15d92aac4..4b64c439a 100644
--- a/man/wb_add_font.Rd
+++ b/man/wb_add_font.Rd
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ wb_add_font(
   scheme = "",
   shadow = "",
   vert_align = "",
+  update = NULL,
   ...
 )
 }
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ wb_add_font(
 
 \item{vert_align}{vertical alignment}
 
+\item{update}{update}
+
 \item{...}{...}
 }
 \value{
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-wb_styles.R b/tests/testthat/test-wb_styles.R
index 5f4437d28..e18333d81 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-wb_styles.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-wb_styles.R
@@ -916,3 +916,21 @@ test_that("dims work", {
   expect_setequal(wb$worksheets[[1]]$sheet_data$cc$c_s, "1")
 
 })
+
+test_that("update font works", {
+  wb <- wb_workbook() |>
+    wb_add_worksheet() |>
+    wb_add_data(x = letters) |>
+    wb_add_font(dims = wb_dims(x = letters), name = "Calibri", size = 20, update = c("name", "size", "scheme"))
+
+  exp <- "<font><color theme=\"1\"/><family val=\"2\"/><name val=\"Calibri\"/><sz val=\"20\"/></font>"
+  got <- wb$styles_mgr$styles$fonts[2]
+  expect_equal(exp, got)
+
+  # updates only the font color
+  wb$add_font(dims = wb_dims(x = letters), color = wb_color("orange"), update = c("color"))
+
+  exp <- "<font><color rgb=\"FFFFA500\"/><family val=\"2\"/><name val=\"Calibri\"/><sz val=\"20\"/></font>"
+  got <- wb$styles_mgr$styles$fonts[3]
+  expect_equal(exp, got)
+})