resurrect

verb

res·​ur·​rect ˌre-zə-ˈrekt How to pronounce resurrect (audio)
resurrected; resurrecting; resurrects
Synonyms of resurrectnext

transitive verb

1
: to raise from the dead
2
: to bring to view, attention, or use again

Synonyms of resurrect

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of resurrect in a Sentence

The story is about a scientist who claimed that he could resurrect the dead. He is trying to resurrect his acting career. an old government program that is being resurrected
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Dodge resurrected the Dart name for 2013 as a compact sedan meant to rival stalwarts like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. — Matt Degen, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Among the moments resurrected for the movie was a monologue in which Hansen explained his pitch for the show to a fan on an airplane. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 The Griffith Park merry-go-round is being resurrected by a group of passionate supporters and volunteers, some of whom are veterans of the theme park industry. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for resurrect

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from resurrection

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of resurrect was in 1773

Rhymes for resurrect

See All Rhymes for resurrect

Browse Nearby Words

resurgent water
resurrect
resurrection
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Resurrect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resurrect. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

resurrect

verb
res·​ur·​rect ˌrez-ə-ˈrekt How to pronounce resurrect (audio)
1
: to raise from the dead : bring back to life
2
: to bring to attention or into use again
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All