To rekindle means to light something again after it has gone out, or to bring back a feeling or relationship that had faded away.

When you're camping and your fire dies down to just glowing embers, you might rekindle it by adding fresh wood and blowing gently on the coals until flames appear again.

More often, people use rekindle to describe reviving something non-physical. Two friends who drifted apart might rekindle their friendship by reconnecting over a shared interest. A family might rekindle old traditions by celebrating holidays the way they used to. A student struggling with math might rekindle their enthusiasm for the subject after a teacher helps them finally understand a tricky concept.

The word suggests that something valuable existed before, dimmed or disappeared for a while, and now returns to life. You can't rekindle something that never existed in the first place. When you rekindle a fire, a friendship, or an interest, you're not starting from scratch. You're bringing back warmth and light that was there before.