resuscitate

verb

re·​sus·​ci·​tate ri-ˈsə-sə-ˌtāt 

resuscitated; resuscitating

transitive verb

: to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness

also : revitalize

intransitive verb

: come to, revive

resuscitative

ri-ˈsə-sə-ˌtā-tiv 

adjective

Did you know?

The 16th century was a good one for words ending in the suffix -ate. Not only did our featured word, resuscitate, breathe life into the English language but so did the verbs anticipate ("to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to"), eradicate ("to do away with completely"), estimate ("to esteem" or "to appraise"), and perpetuate ("to make perpetual"). It was a good century for words about words, too—vocabulary, quip, and hearsay all premiered as well.

Synonyms

• revive
• restore
• recreate
• refresh

Examples of resuscitate in a Sentence

The patient stopped breathing but doctors were able to resuscitate him.

she hopes to resuscitate the currently defunct charity organization

Recent Examples on the Web

Doctors spent several minutes resuscitating Luka before making the difficult decision to use a paralyzing agent to stop him from moving and potentially hurting himself. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

The beeping devices and clicking bellows trying vainly in the ER to resuscitate Matthew’s son fail to give him back his breath. —Adam Verner september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

Shortly after being administered the anesthesia, the child went into cardiac arrest in the dental chair and was resuscitated using chest compressions and epinephrine injections, the lawsuit says. —Deon J. Hampton, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025

Medvedev appeared to have been resuscitated by his own antics. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin resuscitatus, past participle of resuscitare to reawaken, from re- + suscitare to rouse, from sub-, sus- up + citare to put in motion, stir — more at sub-, cite

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for resuscitate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

resuscitate

verb

re·​sus·​ci·​tate ri-ˈsəs-ə-ˌtāt 

resuscitated; resuscitating

1

: to bring back from apparent death or from unconsciousness

2

: revive sense 1

Medical Definition

resuscitate

transitive verb

re·​sus·​ci·​tate ri-ˈsəs-ə-ˌtāt 

resuscitated; resuscitating

: to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness

resuscitate a nearly drowned person by artificial respiration