reanimate

verb

re·​an·​i·​mate (ˌ)rē-ˈa-nə-ˌmāt 

reanimated; reanimating; reanimates

transitive + intransitive

: 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

(ˌ)rē-ˌa-nə-ˈmā-shən 

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

Synonyms of reanimate

• revive
• resurrect
• renew

Examples of reanimate in a Sentence

the new multiplex has begun to reanimate the shabby neighborhood

Recent Examples on the Web

In both, the Bride is reanimated after the Monster, and attempts are made to integrate her into proper society. —Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026

The creature was then dug up and reanimated through the eyes of Terence Fisher in 1957, Mel Brooks in 1974 and Kenneth Branagh in 1994, to name a few. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026

But there’s value in reanimating historical dances. —Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026

There’s a huge difference between memorializing a piece of pop culture and reanimating it. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reanimate

• inanimate
• animate

Medical Definition

reanimate

transitive verb

re·​an·​i·​mate (ˈ)rē-ˈan-ə-ˌmāt 

reanimated; reanimating

: to restore to life : revive

reanimation

-ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən 

noun