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
-
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.
-
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:
Opera will once again revive director Mario Bava’s 1961 movie, “Hercules in the Haunted World,” a sword-and-sandal adventure that The Times has described as having “low-budget production values, atrocious acting and even worse dubbing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lower prices have been working, he said, adding that new products and refreshed styles and displays — part of Target’s plans to revive sales — are the right formula to regain relevance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
His colleagues are doing their bit to revive the factory, clearing away rubble and fixing whatever can be fixed.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
But Devidez hopes new investment will bring jobs and revive the community.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
I am filled with hope and a sureness that Therese will revive.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
A limp toddler is carried past me towards a police officer, who revives him with a light shake.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
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
With a healthy dose of RuPaul’s signature wit and enough drag queen-friendly lighting to combat Hollywood’s run of dimly lit features, the team revives the disaster spoof with stylish aplomb.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 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
“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
Fabled camera maker Leica has revived its fortunes partly by taking control of its distribution from dealers and capturing some of the lucrative secondhand market for its product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Looking into mid 2027, they see the DXY at 104 as the EUR drops to 1.10 amid revived fiscal and political concerns in Europe.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Károlyházy's idea has continued to attract attention and was recently revived, refined and reformulated by FQxI's Angelo Bassi and colleagues.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
In 2004, she returned to her debut theatre role in Blithe Spirit aged 63 when the play was revived at the West End's Savoy Theatre.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
News of his dad, the Underlanders’ recovery, sleep, and food had revived him.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
In the 2019 Netflix film, Dolly Parton: Here I Am, he said his job was to transform her from a "heritage act" into a "superstar", and he took responsibility for reviving her international touring career.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The dispersed ash eventually settles out of the atmosphere, permitting the Sun’s rays to shine fully on the surface again – reviving agriculture and ecosystems.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Even record-breaking monthly revenue from the world’s biggest chip manufacturer isn’t reviving the faltering AI trade.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Rising yields are making new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s ambitious plans for reviving home-building and investment harder to achieve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Finnick reviving Peeta after the force field stopped his heart.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
