resuscitate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonresuscitationnoun
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resuscitationnoun
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nonresuscitableadjective
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nonresuscitativeadjective
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resuscitableadjective
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resuscitativeadjective
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unresuscitableadjective
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unresuscitatedadjective
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unresuscitatingadjective
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unresuscitativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resuscitatesimple
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resuscitatessimple
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have resuscitatedperfect
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has resuscitatedperfect
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am resuscitatingprogressive
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are resuscitatingprogressive
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is resuscitatingprogressive
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have been resuscitatingperfect progressive
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has been resuscitatingperfect progressive
Past
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resuscitatedsimple
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had resuscitatedperfect
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was resuscitatingprogressive
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were resuscitatingprogressive
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had been resuscitatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resuscitate
1525–35; < Latin resuscitātus (past participle of resuscitāre “to reawaken”), equivalent to re- re- + sus- sus- + cit(āre) “to move, arouse” ( see cite 1) + -ātus -ate 1 ( def. )
Explanation
To resuscitate is to revive a person who has lost consciousness. In recent years it's become important for people to learn CPR so that they might resuscitate someone who loses consciousness, and many schools and hospitals offer classes in CPR. The Latin word suscitāre, "to raise," combines with re-, "again," to create the base of the verb resuscitate. Through the years, methods of resuscitation have advanced to the current sophisticated and effective levels of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and defibrillation paddles that can shock a heart back to life. In fact, some patients nowadays ask to sign a "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order to allow them to die without medical interventions like resuscitation.
Vocabulary lists containing resuscitate
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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.
Emergency services stopped trying to resuscitate her at 18:58.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
"The first of the two was pulled out alive, but unfortunately, his body gave out and he did not survive. Doctors could not resuscitate him," regional fire bureau spokeswoman Maria Leah Sajili told AFP.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Paramedics were unable to resuscitate Watkins and he was declared dead just before 10.15.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
On the campaign trail, he’s promising to resuscitate the city’s entertainment industry by fast-tracking film permits and cutting red tape.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Suddenly, the idea of trying to resuscitate Ekon the same way Mama had taught her to resuscitate a kondoo calf seemed more than a little foolish.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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.