resuscitate
verb
re·sus·ci·tate
ri-ˈsə-sə-ˌtāt 
resuscitated; resuscitating
: to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness
also
: revitalize
Did you know?
The 16th century was a good one for words ending in the suffix -ate. Not only did our featured word, resuscitate, breathe life into the English language but so did the verbs anticipate ("to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to"), eradicate ("to do away with completely"), estimate ("to esteem" or "to appraise"), and perpetuate ("to make perpetual"). It was a good century for words about words, too—vocabulary, quip, and hearsay all premiered as well.
Examples of resuscitate in a Sentence
The patient stopped breathing but doctors were able to resuscitate him.
she hopes to resuscitate the currently defunct charity organization
Recent Examples on the Web
And the best version of himself is more than capable of resuscitating a season.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The hiker, identified as Dennis Smith, of Olympia, was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts by park staff and bystanders to resuscitate him.
—David Chiu, People.com, 20 May 2025
The Cleveland Cavaliers moved on from him and hired Kenny Atkinson as head coach, but Bickerstaff remains a Coach of the Year candidate for resuscitating one of the NBA’s dormant franchises.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
In a sentence: The indie debut Fruitvale Station led to a shot as resuscitating a dormant franchise (2015’s Creed) that then begat his own $2 billion-grossing Marvel Studios franchise (Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for resuscitate
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Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The hiker, identified as Dennis Smith, of Olympia, was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts by park staff and bystanders to resuscitate him.
—David Chiu, People.com, 20 May 2025
The Cleveland Cavaliers moved on from him and hired Kenny Atkinson as head coach, but Bickerstaff remains a Coach of the Year candidate for resuscitating one of the NBA’s dormant franchises.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
In a sentence: The indie debut Fruitvale Station led to a shot as resuscitating a dormant franchise (2015’s Creed) that then begat his own $2 billion-grossing Marvel Studios franchise (Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for resuscitate
Cite this Entry
“Resuscitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resuscitate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
resuscitate
verb
re·sus·ci·tate
ri-ˈsəs-ə-ˌtāt
resuscitated; resuscitating
1
: to bring back from apparent death or from unconsciousness
2
Medical Definition
resuscitate
transitive verb
re·sus·ci·tate
ri-ˈsəs-ə-ˌtāt
resuscitated; resuscitating
: to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness
resuscitate a nearly drowned person by artificial respiration
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