revive
B2Formal to neutral; common in written and spoken English across various contexts.
Definition
Meaning
to bring back to life, consciousness, or activity; to restore from a state of decline or inactivity.
To renew interest in or popularity of something; to make something active, healthy, or strong again; to regain strength, consciousness, or life.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a return to a previous, better state after a period of decline, weakness, or inactivity. Can be used literally (medical, biological) or figuratively (economic, cultural, personal interest).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation follow standard UK/US patterns.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] revives [Object][Object] is revived by [Subject]to revive [Object] from [State]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Breathe new life into”
- “Bring back from the dead”
- “Give a new lease of life”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for restarting projects, rejuvenating brands, or recovering markets (e.g., 'The new CEO aims to revive the company's fortunes.').
Academic
Common in history, economics, and social sciences to discuss the resurgence of ideas, movements, or economies.
Everyday
Used for recovering from tiredness, renewing old friendships, or restarting hobbies.
Technical
In medicine, to restore consciousness or vital signs; in ecology, to restore habitats.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The paramedics worked to revive the casualty.
- They hope to revive the local high street with a new festival.
- A cup of tea revived her after the long journey.
American English
- The paramedics worked to revive the victim.
- They hope to revive the downtown area with a new festival.
- A cup of coffee revived him after the long drive.
adverb
British English
- The economy is reviving slowly.
- She looked revivingly at the prospect of a holiday.
American English
- The economy is reviving slowly.
- She looked at the prospect of a vacation revivingly.
adjective
British English
- The revived patient was taken to hospital.
- There is revived interest in vinyl records.
American English
- The revived patient was taken to the hospital.
- There is revived interest in vinyl records.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The rain will revive the plants.
- He revived after drinking some water.
- The doctor managed to revive the unconscious man.
- The company tried to revive its old marketing campaign.
- The government introduced policies to revive the flagging economy.
- This discovery has revived the debate about ancient technology.
- The peace talks, long dormant, have been revived following diplomatic pressure.
- Her performance revived flagging interest in the theatrical production.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'RE-' (again) + 'VIVE' (from Latin 'vivere', to live). So, 'to live again'.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A CYCLE OF SLEEP AND AWAKENING; INTEREST/ACTIVITY IS A FLAME THAT CAN BE REKINDLED.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'review' (рассматривать, пересматривать).
- Do not overuse for simple 'renewal' of contracts – 'renew' is better.
- Not a direct equivalent of 'оживлять' in all artistic contexts – 'animate' might be more specific.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'They revived to discuss the issue.' (Correct: 'They revived the discussion.')
- Incorrect preposition: 'revive with water' (usually 'revive by sprinkling with water' or 'revive using water').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'revive' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is used very broadly for people, animals, plants, economies, traditions, interests, and abstract concepts like hopes or debates.
'Revive' means to bring back to life/activity. 'Survive' means to continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship. They are not synonyms.
Typically neutral or positive, as it implies improvement. It could be negative if reviving something undesirable (e.g., 'revive old rivalries').
Yes, 'revival' is the noun form, meaning the process of reviving or an instance of improved condition or popularity.