rekindle

American  

[ree-kin-dl] / riˈkɪn dl /

verb (used with object)

• rekindles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rekindled,
  past participle,  past
• rekindling
  present participle

1. to excite, stir up, or rouse anew.

   efforts to rekindle their romance;

   comments that rekindled her anger.

2. to cause to begin burning again; ignite again.

   Never use gasoline to rekindle a fire.

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verb (used without object)

• rekindles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rekindled,
  past participle,  past
• rekindling
  present participle

1. to begin to burn again; ignite again.

   She is worried about a fire rekindling.

rekindle British  

/ riːˈkɪndəl /

verb

1. to arouse or cause to be aroused again

   rekindle the romance in your relationship

2. to set alight or start to burn again

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• rekindling
  present
• rekindled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rekindle
  simple
• rekindles
  simple
• have rekindled
  perfect
• has rekindled
  perfect
• am rekindling
  progressive
• are rekindling
  progressive
• is rekindling
  progressive
• have been rekindling
  perfect progressive
• has been rekindling
  perfect progressive

Past

• rekindled
  simple
• had rekindled
  perfect
• was rekindling
  progressive
• were rekindling
  progressive
• had been rekindling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rekindle
  simple
• will have rekindled
  perfect
• will be rekindling
  progressive
• will have been rekindling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of rekindle

First recorded in 1590–1600; re- ( def. ) + kindle ¹ ( def. )

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Explanation

Use the verb rekindle when you're trying to get something started again, like a fire or a romance. If your campfire goes out while you're getting the marshmallows out of your tent, you'll want to rekindle it. Likewise, if you've lost touch with a childhood friend, you might try to rekindle your relationship when you meet again as adults. Re means "again," and kindle means "start a fire," probably from the Old Norse kynda, "to light a fire." Rekindle has been used in the figurative sense from around 1300.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rekindle rekindles rekindled rekindling

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino’s has been trying to rekindle growth in its U.S. business as the U.S. pizza industry slumps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The latest commitments could rekindle Anthropic’s feud with the White House, a saga in which two of the company’s models were shut down over security concerns and the Pentagon labeled the company a national-security risk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

"We should step back, take a longer-term view, and be inspired to rekindle the American Dream as a beacon of hope for America's next 250 years."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Hussain tried to rekindle the relationship but the woman rebutted his attempts on numerous occasions.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Inspired by Harriot Stanton Blatch, Paul wanted to use pageants and parades to rekindle interest in a federal amendment for women’s suffrage, as well as to influence members of Congress.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

The film also rekindles a lot of the romance that’s been missing from the Cup as it’s evolved into its multi-hull, super-technology era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Audi's entry this year rekindles that old rivalry with Mercedes, and battle lines have already been drawn in a pre-season row over the rules governing the engines' compression ratio.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

She leaves her husband, moves into a predominantly Black neighborhood and rekindles an old passion for journalism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024

“The Bricklayer” is filled with throwback testosterone-fueled tropes: Vail rekindles a romance with a woman of questionable motives; he teaches Bannon the ropes; he’s an old dog whose old tricks still work.

From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2024

She pours the rest of the water into our new pot while Kim rekindles the fire by adding dry leaves and branches.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

So when Flowers moved back home and started revisiting his childhood haunts, his passion for country was rekindled.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman, who stormed out of his Netflix investment a few years ago, has rekindled that old flame.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

This past week’s anemic employment report rekindled a burning question for the U.S. economy: How many new jobs does it actually need?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

The personal struggle and public fight against Lineage has rekindled her Catholicism, the 52-year-old said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

The old ambition of her youth was rekindled.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

The blaze, later determined to be a rekindling of a week-old fire, swiftly spread out of control, destroying more than 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and nearby areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

After dropping below 6% for the first time since 2022 just prior to the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, mortgage rates climbed last month as oil prices soared, rekindling inflation worries.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

The episode, far from rekindling a sibling bond, turned out to be a bookend in the two brothers’ relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

But with so many difficulties to navigate, a full rekindling of the old relationship is unlikely - it is more realistically the start of a slow diplomatic thaw.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026

It lit the forge the smith was rekindling after four days of cold metal work.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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Related Words

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