revive
Americanverb (used with object)
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revives,
present (3rd person singular)
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revived,
past participle, past
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reviving
present participle
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to activate, set in motion, or take up again; renew.
to revive old feuds.
- Synonyms:
- reactivate
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to restore to life or consciousness.
We revived him with artificial respiration.
- Synonyms:
- resuscitate, reanimate, revitalize
- Antonyms:
- kill
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to put on or show (an old play or motion picture) again.
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to make operative or valid again.
- Synonyms:
- reactivate
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to bring back into notice, use, or currency.
to revive a subject of discussion.
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to quicken or renew in the mind; bring back.
to revive memories.
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to reanimate or cheer (the spirit, heart, etc., or a person).
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Chemistry. to restore or reduce to the natural or uncombined state, as a metal.
verb (used without object)
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revives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
revived,
past participle, past
-
reviving
present participle
-
to return to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, or a flourishing condition.
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to recover from financial depression.
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to be quickened, restored, or renewed, as hope, confidence, suspicions, or memories.
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to return to notice, use, or currency, as a subject, practice, or doctrine.
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to become operative or valid again.
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Chemistry. to recover the natural or uncombined state, as a metal.
verb
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to bring or be brought back to life, consciousness, or strength; resuscitate or be resuscitated
revived by a drop of whisky
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to give or assume new vitality; flourish again or cause to flourish again
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to make or become operative or active again
the youth movement was revived
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to bring or come into use or currency again
to revive a language
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(tr) to take up again
he revived his old hobby
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to bring or come back to mind
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(tr) theatre to mount a new production of (an old play)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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revivabilitynoun
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revivernoun
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revivableadjective
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revivingadjective
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unrevivableadjective
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unrevivedadjective
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revivablyadverb
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revivinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revivesimple
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revivessimple
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have revivedperfect
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has revivedperfect
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am revivingprogressive
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are revivingprogressive
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is revivingprogressive
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have been revivingperfect progressive
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has been revivingperfect progressive
Past
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revivedsimple
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had revivedperfect
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was revivingprogressive
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were revivingprogressive
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had been revivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of revive
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English reviven, from Latin revīvere “to live again,” from re- re- + vīvere “to live” ( cf. vital)
Explanation
To revive something is to provide it with new energy or life, like when you revive a drooping plant by watering it, or when you revive a boring party by breaking out the karaoke machine. Revive comes from the Latin roots re-, meaning “again,” and vivere, meaning “to live.” So, the word revive means “live again.” While the possibility of bringing folks back from the dead isn’t something we’re qualified to comment on, we will note that revive can be used in a sense that’s very close to its literal meaning; specifically, revive can mean “cause someone to regain consciousness.”
Vocabulary lists containing revive
A Long Walk to Water
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Out of the Dust
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I want to revive and kind of expand on that because we now have the real-life example of the birthright citizenship case.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
That will remain an issue whether he remains at Chelsea or Manchester City elect to revive their interest and attempt to reunite him with his former manager Enzo Maresca before deadline day on 1 September.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson is putting his decades of coaching experience to the test as he spearheads USC’s efforts to revive its defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Conglomerate’s nonbinding offer for Austal USA comes as Washington seeks to revive domestic shipyards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
I am filled with hope and a sureness that Therese will revive.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which had a representative in court, wrote on social media that the trial "revives hope that justice will finally be served for a crime perpetrated nearly nine years ago".
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The effort to establish a West Coast coal export terminal revives a fight that has played out repeatedly in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
As credit costs moderate, loan growth revives and the bank executes on its liability and cost strategy, ROAs and ROEs should improve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Upon that appointment, Hegseth described him as "a generational leader" who will "help ensure the Army revives the warrior ethos, rebuilds for the modern battlefield, and deters our enemies around the world".
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
“A place that revives weary travelers and gives them strength for the rest of the journey.”
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Perhaps, someday in the future, the spirit of 2020 will be revived with a new galvanizing philosophy: Most of our fellow citizens might actually be good people.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
He revived the canard about vaccines contributing to a rise in autism, despite the connection having been thoroughly refuted by years of clinical research.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The prospect of oil prices remaining elevated for the time being has revived concerns over inflation and boosted the chances of interest rate increases.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The 38-year-old, who followed his ex-Wales international father into football and held roles in recruitment at Grimsby Town, Manchester City and other clubs, could not be revived by paramedics, his inquest heard.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
It was a moment of reconciliation, when the nagging hunger in his belly was forgotten and his earlier affection for her had temporarily revived.
From "1984" by George Orwell
However, India will need to think of a new industrial policy to focus on reviving overall manufacturing, he adds.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“China’s growth strategy—both short- and medium-term—puts technology and advanced manufacturing ahead of reviving domestic demand,” economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a note this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Zapata Mijares said reviving the theater could also help nearby businesses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The two rival leaders first met in December, when they signalled a fresh commitment to reviving the long-stalled peace process in the presence of Guterres's envoy Maria Angela Holguin.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Had I decided to believe her, her pronouncement would have toppled my confidence all over again, reviving the old thrum of not enough, not enough.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
