reawaken

verb

re·​awak·​en (ˌ)rē-ə-ˈwā-kən 

reawakened; reawakening; reawakens

transitive + intransitive

: to awaken (someone or something) again

a photo that reawakened past memories

a movie that has reawakened interest in their story

Harry's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken.

—J. K. Rowling

reawakening noun

plural reawakenings

a spiritual reawakening

The Taylor demo … signals a reawakening of militant activism in New York.

—Sarah Ferguson

Examples of reawaken in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While her life seems picturesque, complete with a devoted husband (Eric Rahill) and ride-or-die best friend (Kate Berlant), mounting professional pressures reawaken her long-dormant struggle with an eating disorder. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 19 June 2026

But the pandemic has left some evidence that viral infection may play a role in reawakening dormant cancer cells present in a patient’s body before infection. —Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

Asserting your intrinsic needs in friendships and partnerships will reawaken and strengthen your confidence. —Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 10 June 2026

Reopening the door to China in 1972, Richard Nixon reawakened his forebears’ dream of making China embrace American-style democracy and capitalism. —Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reawaken

• awaken
• betaken
• forsaken
• mistaken
• partaken
• retaken
• unshaken
• godforsaken
• overtaken
• undertaken
• shaken
• taken