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
The Minnesota Wild’s special teams failed them once again, but the team’s season has been resuscitated by its rugged fourth line and overtime heroics from star forward Matt Boldy. —
Michael Russo, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 Great Salt Lake is an issue Utah leaders have been working to resuscitate for nearly a decade; Cox knew the talking points. —Saige Miller, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026 The Knicks also made roster moves of their own, signing Jordan Clarkson to help resuscitate a bench unit ranking dead-last in scoring last season. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 After a while, the staff was unable to resuscitate Bryan, and he was pronounced dead. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for resuscitate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Michael Russo, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 Great Salt Lake is an issue Utah leaders have been working to resuscitate for nearly a decade; Cox knew the talking points. —Saige Miller, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026 The Knicks also made roster moves of their own, signing Jordan Clarkson to help resuscitate a bench unit ranking dead-last in scoring last season. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 After a while, the staff was unable to resuscitate Bryan, and he was pronounced dead. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for resuscitate
Cite this Entry
“Resuscitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/resuscitate. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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