What does "revive" mean?
Synonym of revival (“an act of reviving, or a state of being revived (in various senses)”).
Revive
/ɹɪˈvaɪv/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of revival (“an act of reviving, or a state of being revived (in various senses)”).
- Grammar: revive is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: reanimate, resuscitate, abet, accommodate.
- Useful contrasts: becalmed, blighted, dazed.
- Usage evidence: The rain will revive this tree.
How to use "revive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "revive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "revive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "revive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "revive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "revive" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "reanimate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "revive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of revival (“an act of reviving, or a state of being revived (in various senses)”). obsolete
"[F]irst called at Wotton's, the shoemaker's, who tells me the reason of [Henry] Harris's going from Sir W[illia]m Davenant's house, that he grew very proud and demanded £20 for himself extraordinary, more than [Thomas] Betterton, or any body else, upon every new play, and £10 upon every revive; […]"
Verb
- 1 To cause (a person or animal) to recover from a faint; to cause (a person or animal) to return to a state of consciousness. transitive
"Near-synonym: rescue"
- 2 return to consciousness wordnet
- 3 To bring (a person or animal which is dead) back to life. transitive
"And in her cheekes the vermeill red did ſhevv / Like roſes in a bed of lilies ſhed, / The vvhich ambroſiall odours from them threvv, / And gazers ſence vvith double pleaſure fed, / Hable to heale the ſicke, and to reuiue the ded."
- 4 give new life or energy to wordnet
- 5 To cause (something) to recover from a state of decline, neglect, oblivion, or obscurity; to make (something) active or lively again; to reanimate, to revitalize. figuratively, transitive
"The Manx language has been revived after dying out, and is now taught in some schools on the Isle of Man."
Show 19 more definitions
- 6 cause to regain consciousness wordnet
- 7 To cause (a feeling, state of mind, etc.) to come back or return; to reactivate, to reawaken. figuratively, transitive
"Partriche. Of all foules is moſte ſooneſt digeſted: and hath in hym moche nutriment, comforteth the brayne, and maketh ſede of generation,. and reuiueth luſte, whiche is abated."
- 8 restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state wordnet
- 9 To renew (something) in one's or people's memories or minds; to bring back (something) to (public) attention; to reawaken. figuratively, transitive
"The Harry Potter books and films revived the world’s interest in wizardry."
- 10 be brought back to life, consciousness, or strength wordnet
- 11 To make (something which has become faded or unclear) clear or fresh again; to refresh. figuratively, transitive
"It was very odd; his clothes were a fine, deep, glossy, black, and yet they looked like the same suit; nay, there were the very darns, with which old acquaintance had made us familiar. […] The truth flashed suddenly upon us—they had been "revived." 'Tis a deceitful liquid that black and blue reviver; we have watched its effects on many a shabby-genteel man. […] [T]he transient dignity of the unhappy man decreased in exact proportion as the "reviver" wore off."
- 12 To restore (a metal (especially mercury) or other substance in a compound or mixture) to its pure or unmixed state. figuratively, historical, transitive
"to revive a metal after calcination"
- 13 To give new validity to (a law or legal instrument); to reenact, to revalidate. figuratively, historical, transitive
"[Y]et by his moſte excellent witte⸝ he in a few yeres⸝ nat only broughte this realme in good ordre and vnder due obedience⸝ reuiued the lawes⸝ auanced Juſtice⸝ refurniſſhed his dominions⸝ and repayred his manours: […]"
- 14 To put on a new production of (a musical, play, or other stage performance; also, a film or television programme). also, figuratively, transitive
"A Prologue to the Play of Queene Elizabeth [I] as it vvas laſt revived at the Cock-pit, in vvhich the Author taxeth the moſt corrupted copy novv imprinted, vvhich vvas publiſhed vvithout his conſent."
- 15 To bring (someone) back to a state of health or vigour. figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
"What helpes reuiue, / the thriuing, to thriue. / Plough fence and ſtore, / aught elſe before."
- 16 To rerun (an election). figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
- 17 To recover from a faint; to return to a state of consciousness. intransitive
"He is in ſuche a ſwounde [swoon] yͭ I wene he wyll neuer reuyue againe […]"
- 18 Of a dead person or animal: to be brought back to life. intransitive
"For Chriſt therfore dyed and roſe agayne⸝ ãd [and] revived⸝ that he ſhuld be lorde both of deed and quicke."
- 19 Of a person, animal, or plant: to return to a state of health or vigour, especially after almost dying. intransitive
"I Quycken I reuyue as a thyng dothe that fyrſt doth begyn to ſtyrre or yͭ was wyddered or almoſte deed and retourneth to lyfe againe⸝ […]"
- 20 To recover from a state of decline, neglect, oblivion, or obscurity; to become active or lively again; to reanimate, to revitalize. figuratively, intransitive
"Classical learning revived in the 15th century."
- 21 Of a feeling, state of mind, etc.: to come back or return; to be reactivated or reawakened. figuratively, intransitive
"[W]hẽ [when] he ſaw the lord de la vale his hert reuyued and thought there was ſome tretye in hande."
- 22 Of a metal (especially mercury) or other substance in a compound or mixture: to return to its pure or unmixed state. figuratively, intransitive, obsolete, rare
- 23 Of a law or legal instrument: to be given new validity. figuratively, historical, intransitive, uncommon
- 24 Of a musical, play, or other stage performance; also, a film or television programme: to have a new production put on. also, figuratively, intransitive
"It is not now doubted but plays will revive, and take their usual place in the opinion of persons of wit and merit, notwithstanding their late apostacy^([sic – meaning apostasy]) in favour of dress and sound."
Antonyms
Example
"The rain will revive this tree."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "revive"?
Common synonyms include: reanimate, resuscitate, abet, accommodate, activate, adapt.
How do you use "revive" in a sentence?
The rain will revive this tree.
How do you pronounce "revive"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈvaɪv/.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English reviven, revyven (“to recover from illness; to regain consciousness; to return to life after death; to happen again, recur; to be rejuvenated, renewed; (figurative) to bring back; (alchemy) of a metal: to be restored to its original form”), from Anglo-Norman reviver, revivre (“to return to life after death; to rejuvenate, renew; to make (a law or legal document) valid again”), Middle French revivre, and Old French revivre (“to return to life after death; to rejuvenate, renew”) (modern French revivre), and directly from their etymon Latin revīvere, the present active infinitive of revīvō (“to live again”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + vīvō (“to be alive, survive; to live”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”)). The noun is derived from the verb.