reanimate

American  

[ree-an-uh-meyt] / ˌriˈæn əˌmeɪt /

verb (used with object)

reanimated, reanimating

1. to restore to life; resuscitate.

2. to give fresh vigor, spirit, or courage to.

3. to stimulate to renewed activity.

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reanimate British  

/ riːˈænɪmeɪt /

verb

1. to refresh or enliven (something) again

   to reanimate their enervated lives

2. to bring back to life

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Other Word Forms

• reanimation noun

Etymology

Origin of reanimate

First recorded in 1605–15; re- + animate

Example Sentences

Spear dies a hero at the second season’s close, only for a shaman to reanimate him in the third season premiere as a zombie.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

One of the pleasures here is witnessing both actors reanimate the rhythms of a long-ago conversation, their text absent the typical tidiness of a screenplay and instead an interwoven network of inflection, attitude, allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Who knows, maybe it’ll be a hit and they’ll figure out another way to reanimate this utterly uninspiring horror villain.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

Her paintings allow viewers to bring their personal experiences to her visual narratives, allowing the characters to reanimate through the viewer’s imagination.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2022

Hazel didn’t think it was so impressive compared to the powers of a guy who could reanimate skeletons and bring people back from the dead, but it felt good to surprise him for a change.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan