ENGLISH
REFERENCE

revive

v.
US //ɹiˈvaɪv// UK //ɹɪvˈaɪv// re·vive
  1. 1 to restore consciousness (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    to make someone conscious again after they have fainted or stopped breathing.

    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.

    Example

    The lifeguards managed to revive the swimmer after pulling him from the water.

    Example

    Emergency medical technicians worked feverishly to revive the patient, who had lost consciousness shortly after the accident occurred.
  2. 2 to bring back an idea or practice (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to start using or doing something again that was popular in the past.

    to restore interest in or the practice of something that has fallen into disuse or obscurity.

    Example

    The company is trying to revive a fashion trend from the 1990s.

    Example

    The local council hopes to revive the traditional summer festival to boost tourism and community spirit after years of decline.
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  1. 3 to perform a play again (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Theatre

    to produce a new version of an old play, film, or musical.

    to produce a new performance of a theatrical work or broadcast after a period of inactivity.

    Example

    The theatre decided to revive the classic musical for its fiftieth anniversary.

    Example

    The National Theatre's decision to revive the controversial 1920s drama was met with both critical acclaim and public curiosity.
  2. 4 to improve health or energy (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to make someone feel healthy, strong, or active again.

    to restore vigour, health, or physical condition to a living organism.

    Example

    A cold drink and a short rest helped to revive the tired hikers.

    Example

    The heavy rainfall was just enough to revive the wilting crops after the record-breaking summer drought.
  3. 5 to bring back a feeling (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to make a feeling or memory come back.

    to reawaken or reactivate a specific emotion, state of mind, or memory.

    Example

    Seeing the old photographs helped revive memories of their childhood.

    Example

    The unexpected letter served to revive old animosities that the family had spent decades trying to bury.
Origin

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.

Word family

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