revive
Americanverb (used with object)
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revives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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.
-
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).
-
Chemistry. to restore or reduce to the natural or uncombined state, as a metal.
verb (used without object)
-
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
-
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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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:
"Headwinds from a prolonged war and persistent geopolitical tensions could revive inflationary pressures, strain fiscal and external positions, and hit energy-importing and low-income countries hardest," it said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
For 20 minutes, we pressed on his chest and pushed medicines, but despite our best efforts, we could not revive him.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Jail staff tried to revive him before he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Sept. 5.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
In 2024, aiming to revive the sluggish property market, Beijing announced a real estate “white list,” a financing program to direct bank lending to approved projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It took a while for the doctor to revive her husband and even longer to elicit, through the man’s broken English, what he’d said that so enraged his wife.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Weakness in banks and chip stocks raises the stakes for tech earnings as hotter inflation revives concerns about Federal Reserve rate hikes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Sheffield United's away kit revives a classic style worn by the Blades during the 1975-76 season.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
“If there’s anything that I can pull from this dismal gray moment in history, it’s the hope that, for our culture and our celebrations, this revives us.”
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 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
It tastes like chocolate frosting, and it revives me a little.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Porsche revived plans for an entry-level SUV with a gas engine, but it won’t arrive until 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The beloved PBS children’s education program, which was hosted by LeVar Burton from 1983 to 2006, was revived last year as a digital/streaming show with Threets stepping in as host.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
He revived the show again in 2023, although he confirmed earlier this year he would be stepping away.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
It is possible that Mrs. Hubbard revived rather quicker with these methods than she might otherwise have done.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager and is credited with reviving the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s international touring career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Last week, a slow-burning selloff in France’s government bond market took an alarming turn as it spread across the continent, reviving memories of the eurozone debt crisis last decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Wells Fargo said breakout hits were essential to reviving Netflix’s stock.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
US President Donald Trump's business partner Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner visited Moscow in hopes of reviving negotiations to end Europe's worst conflict since WWII.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Whenever I fainted near a store, I would get a piece of candy or fruit from the storekeeper upon reviving.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
