To be reborn means to experience a complete transformation that feels like starting life fresh, as if you were born again. When someone says they feel reborn, they mean they've changed so fundamentally that their old self seems like a distant memory.

The word appears in many contexts. In some religions, people believe in literal rebirth: that after death, a soul returns in a new body. In Christianity, being born again means experiencing a spiritual awakening that changes how you see everything. But you'll also hear the word used more casually: an injured athlete might feel reborn after recovering and returning to their sport, or someone might feel reborn after moving to a new city and making a fresh start.

Sometimes things get reborn too. A forgotten neighborhood can be reborn when new businesses open and families move in. An old tradition might be reborn when a new generation rediscovers it and makes it their own. Classic books and movies get reborn when they're remade for modern audiences.

The key idea is transformation so complete that what comes after barely resembles what came before. It's stronger than just “changed” or “improved.” Being reborn suggests you've shed your old self and emerged as something new.