reanimate
verb
re·an·i·mate
(ˌ)rē-ˈa-nə-ˌmāt
reanimated; reanimating; reanimates
: to animate or become animated again: such as
a
: to bring (someone or something) back to life or to come back to life
Scientists were able to reanimate a nematode that had laid dormant in Siberian permafrost for approximately 46,000 years, according to a study published Thursday in the journal PLOS Genetics …—William Skipworth
As the defrosting jellyfish seemed to reanimate under the faucet's running water, the restaurant's chef asked if he should salt the boiling water.—Jason Horowitz
… Nathan would sit in the kitchen … watching Eleanor smoke cigarettes and squeeze lemons into her diet Coke, of which she drank sixty ounces a day—enough, as Major Ray often declared, to reanimate a dead body.—Michael Chabon
b
: to regain vitality or to restore vigor and zest to (someone or something)
When she reanimates, the words just spill from her, small speedy bubbles sliding under and around each other …—Andrew Corsello
… serves to reanimate the old debates about the relationship between form and content …—Jed Perl
reanimation
noun
plural reanimations
… discusses the post-Soviet decline, fall, and reanimation of the notorious Soviet secret police agency.
—Roland Green
This isn't just a captivating retelling; it's a creative reanimation of these indelible characters who are still breathing down our necks across the millennia.
—Ron Charles
Cite this Entry
“Reanimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reanimate. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
