revive

verb

re·​vive ri-ˈvīv 

revived; reviving

intransitive verb

: to return to consciousness or life : become active or flourishing again

Business is beginning to revive.

transitive verb

1

: to restore to consciousness, life, or healthy condition

doctors trying to revive a patient

Water revived the wilting flowers.

2

: to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state : bring back

The movie revived her career.

3

: to renew in the mind or memory

Visiting the old house revived childhood memories.

revivable

ri-ˈvī-və-bəl 

adjective

reviver noun

Synonyms of revive

• resurrect
• renew

Examples of revive in a Sentence

The success of the movie has revived her career.

The government is trying to revive the economy.

Our spirits were revived by his enthusiasm.

The store's business is beginning to revive.

The family is trying to revive an old custom.

He has decided to revive Molière's Tartuffe.

Recent Examples on the Web

When a quarrel over an inheritance revives old hostilities, their relationship comes under pressure from greed and treachery in a conflict not of their making. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

The theft revived memories of the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last year and renewed calls for better security and funding at the many cultural sites across France. — Sylvie Corbet, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

Chan Luu is hardly an emerging brand because of its rich history, but Tessa Tran, the niece of Chan Luu, bought back the family business in 2023 and has since revived the line as artistic director. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Pre-merger Paramount shut down Paramount TV Studios in 2024, then revived the name a year later, combining Showtime/MTV Entertainment and Skydance TV. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French revivre, from Latin revivere to live again, from re- + vivere to live — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for revive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• khedive
• survive
• dive
• drive

Kids Definition

revive

verb

re·​vive ri-ˈvīv 

revived; reviving

1

: to make (someone or something) strong, active, or healthy again

2

: to bring back into use or popularity

trying to revive an old custom

reviver noun

Medical Definition

revive

verb

re·​vive ri-ˈvīv 

revived; reviving

intransitive verb

: to return to consciousness or life

transitive verb

1

: to restore to consciousness or life

2

: to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state

revivable

-ˈvī-və-bəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

revive

transitive verb

re·​vive ri-ˈvīv 

revived; reviving

: to restore the force, effect, or validity of (as a contract, will, or action)