Word
revive
Phoneticsre·vive, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈvaɪv/
UK/ɹɪvˈaɪv/
Definitions
01to restore consciousness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine
v. to make someone conscious again after they have fainted or stopped breathing.
v. to restore a person or animal to consciousness or life. It can be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe the person waking up.
“The lifeguards managed to revive the swimmer after pulling him from the water.”
“Emergency medical technicians worked feverishly to revive the patient, who had lost consciousness shortly after the accident occurred.”
Synonyms
02to bring back an idea or practice
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to start using or doing something again that was popular in the past.
v. to restore interest in or the practice of something that has fallen into disuse or obscurity.
“The company is trying to revive a fashion trend from the 1990s.”
“The local council hopes to revive the traditional summer festival to boost tourism and community spirit after years of decline.”
03to perform a play again
C1 · Advanced Theater Formal
v. to produce a new version of an old play, film, or musical.
v. to produce a new performance of a theatrical work or broadcast after a period of inactivity.
“The theatre decided to revive the classic musical for its fiftieth anniversary.”
“The National Theatre's decision to revive the controversial 1920s drama was met with both critical acclaim and public curiosity.”
Synonyms
04to improve health or energy
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make someone feel healthy, strong, or active again.
v. to restore vigour, health, or physical condition to a living organism.
“A cold drink and a short rest helped to revive the tired hikers.”
“The heavy rainfall was just enough to revive the wilting crops after the record-breaking summer drought.”
05to bring back a feeling
C1 · Advanced Literary
v. to make a feeling or memory come back.
v. to reawaken or reactivate a specific emotion, state of mind, or memory.
“Seeing the old photographs helped revive memories of their childhood.”
“The unexpected letter served to revive old animosities that the family had spent decades trying to bury.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “revive” in context.
Verb
01. revive a dormant interest
“Visiting the museum revived his dormant interest in ancient civilizations.”
verb + adj + noun
02. revive a fading memory
“Looking at the old photographs helped to revive a fading memory of her childhood home.”
verb + adj + noun
03. revive a flagging economy
“The government introduced tax cuts in a desperate bid to revive the flagging economy.”
verb + adj + noun
04. revive a stalled negotiation
“The mediator's arrival helped to revive the stalled negotiations between the two parties.”
verb + adj + noun
Adverb
05. briefly revive the tradition
“The local community tried to briefly revive the tradition during the summer festival.”
adv + verb + noun
06. dramatically revive the fortunes
“The new CEO's strategy helped to dramatically revive the fortunes of the struggling company.”
adv + verb + noun
07. successfully revive the patient
“Paramedics managed to successfully revive the patient after his heart had stopped for several minutes.”
adv + verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“Known as "Drastic Dave" for cost-cutting at other companies, can he revive growth as more consumers drink less alcohol or switch from global brands to local ones?” “In Sean Gilbert’s I’ll Be the Monster , a murderous husband and wife encounter an old university acquaintance while on a trip to Istanbul to revive their marriage.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/revive