survive

[ser-vahyv]

verb (used without object)

survived, surviving 

1. to remain alive after the death of someone, the cessation of something, or the occurrence of some event; continue to live.

   Few survived after the holocaust.

   Synonyms: succeed, persist

2. to remain or continue in existence or use.

   Ancient farming methods still survive in the Middle East.

3. to get along or remain healthy, happy, and unaffected in spite of some occurrence.

   She's surviving after the divorce.

verb (used with object)

survived, surviving 

1. to continue to live or exist after the death, cessation, or occurrence of.

   His wife survived him. He survived the operation.

2. to endure or live through (an affliction, adversity, misery, etc.).

   She's survived two divorces.

survive

/ səˈvaɪv /

verb

1. (tr) to live after the death of (another)

   he survived his wife by 12 years

2. to continue in existence or use after (a passage of time, an adversity, etc)

3. informal,  to endure (something)

   I don't know how I survive such an awful job

Other Word Forms

• self-surviving adjective
• unsurvived adjective
• unsurviving adjective
• survivable adjective
• survivability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of survive¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French survivre, from Latin supervīvere, equivalent to super- super- + vīvere “to live”; sur- ¹, vivid

Word History and Origins

Origin of survive¹

C15: from Old French sourvivre, from Latin supervīvere, from _super- + vīvere to live

Synonym Study

Survive, outlive refer to remaining alive longer than someone else or after some event. Survive usually means to succeed in keeping alive against odds, to live after some event that has threatened one: to survive an automobile accident. It is also used of living longer than another person (usually a relative), but, today, mainly in the passive, as in the fixed expression: The deceased is survived by his wife and children. Outlive stresses capacity for endurance, the time element, and sometimes a sense of competition: He outlived all his enemies. It is also used, however, of a person or object that has lived or lasted beyond a certain point: He has outlived his usefulness.

Example Sentences

It’s unclear how detectives identified Prowell as the suspect, but Lugo said the surviving victim’s account was the break authorities needed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Until now, I don't believe that this war could be ending and that I and still alive – we have survived this catastrophe," she said.

Read more on BBC

Sir David says he didn't think her business would survive, while Lady Beckham agrees.

Read more on BBC

And the widespread destruction of housing and communities has often meant families splintering to survive.

Read more on BBC

Visit the fenced flora today, “and it looks like a museum of native plants because they have to be protected in order to survive.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bear 
• endure 
• exist 
• get through 
• handle 
• keep 
• last 
• live 
• recover 
• remain 
• ride out 
• subsist 
• suffer 
• sustain 
• weather 
• withstand