alive
Americanadjective
-
having life; living; existing; not dead or lifeless.
- Antonyms:
- dead
-
living (used for emphasis).
the proudest man alive.
-
in a state of action; in force or operation; active.
to keep hope alive.
- Antonyms:
- defunct
-
full of energy and spirit; lively.
Grandmother's more alive than most of her contemporaries.
- Antonyms:
- lifeless
-
having the quality of life; vivid; vibrant.
The room was alive with color.
-
Electricity. live.
idioms
-
alive to, alert or sensitive to; aware of.
City planners are alive to the necessity of revitalizing deteriorating neighborhoods.
-
look alive! pay attention! move quickly!.
Look alive! We haven't got all day.
-
alive with, filled with living things; swarming; teeming.
The room was alive with mosquitoes.
adjective
-
(of people, animals, plants, etc) living; having life
-
in existence; active
they kept hope alive
the tradition was still alive
-
(immediately postpositive and usually used with a superlative) of those living; now living
the happiest woman alive
-
full of life; lively
she was wonderfully alive for her age
-
(usually foll by with) animated
a face alive with emotion
-
(foll by to) aware (of); sensitive (to)
-
(foll by with) teeming (with)
the mattress was alive with fleas
-
electronics another word for live 2
-
(of a person) active and in good health
-
hurry up! get busy!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alive
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English on līfe “in life”; equivalent to a- 1 + life
Explanation
If you're alive, you're living — in other words, you're not dead. If your apple tree blooms in the spring, you'll know it's still alive after the long, cold winter. Living things are alive — people, animals, plants — but things can be alive figuratively as well. You might, for example, talk about keeping optimism alive or keeping the school music program alive. The word is often used to mean "spirited" or "full of energy," too, as when a birthday party comes alive just as the magician and the pony arrive. Alive comes from the Old English phrase on life, "in living" or "in life."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deputy Danny Oliver and Detective Michael Davis Jr. should be alive today, enjoying long and healthy lives with their families,” Cooper said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
"If that evacuation warning had come through in time, my father would still be alive," says Duncan Chard, who blames failures by officials on the day for a number of the deaths.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
When he reached his unit’s rear base, he knew he had made it out alive, after nearly 500 days on the front line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Parties exist to win elections, and on that score this donkey remains alive and kicking.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
It took a while, but the calf came out alive and kicking.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
