live

[ liv ]

/ lɪv /

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See synonyms for: live / liver / lives / living on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), lived

[livd], /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

to have life, as an organism; be alive; be capable of vital functions: all things that live.

to continue to have life; remain alive: to live to a ripe old age.

to continue in existence, operation, memory, etc.; last: a book that lives in my memory.

to maintain or support one's existence; provide for oneself: to live on one's income.

to feed or subsist (usually followed by on or upon): to live on rice and bananas.

to dwell or reside (usually followed by in, at, etc.): to live in a cottage.

to pass life in a specified manner: They lived happily ever after.

to direct or regulate one's life: to live by the golden rule.

to experience or enjoy to the full: At 40 she was just beginning to live.

to cohabit (usually followed by with).

to escape destruction or remain afloat, as a ship or aircraft.

verb (used with object), lived

[livd], /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

to pass (life): to live a life of ease.

to practice, represent, or exhibit in one's life: to live one's philosophy.

Verb Phrases

live down, to live so as to allow (a mistake, disgrace, etc.) to be forgotten or forgiven: She'll never live that crucial moment of failure down.

live in / out to reside at or away from the place of one's employment, especially as a domestic servant: Their butler lives in, but the maids live out.

live up to, to live in accordance with (expectations or an ideal or standard); measure up to: He never lived up to his father's vision of him.

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Idioms about live

live high off / on the hog. hog (def. 16).

live it up, Informal. to live in an extravagant or wild manner; pursue pleasure: He started living it up after he got out of the army.

live well, to live comfortably: They're not wealthy but they live well.

Origin of live

First recorded before 900; Middle English liven, Old English lifian, libban; cognate with Dutch leven, German leben,Old Norse lifa,Gothic liban

Words nearby live

Liu Pang, Liu Shaoqi, Liuzhou, livability, livable, live, liveable, live-action, Live and learn, Live and let live, live axle

Other definitions for live (2 of 2)

live²

[ lahyv ]

/ laɪv /

adjective, liv·er, liv·est for 4-7, 13-15.

being alive; living; alive: live animals.

of, relating to, or during the life of a living being: the animal's live weight.

characterized by or indicating the presence of living creatures: the live sounds of the forest.

Informal. (of a person) energetic; alert; lively: The club members are a really live bunch.

full of life, energy or activity: His approach in any business dealing is live and fresh.

burning or glowing: live coals in the fireplace.

having resilience or bounce: a live tennis ball.

being in play, as a baseball or football.

loaded or unexploded, as a cartridge or shell: live ammunition.

made up of actual persons: to perform before a live audience.

(of a radio or television program) broadcast while happening or being performed; not prerecorded or taped: a live telecast.

being highly resonant or reverberant, as an auditorium or concert hall.

vivid or bright, as color.

of current interest or importance, as a question or issue; controversial; unsettled.

moving or imparting motion; powered: the live head on a lathe.

still in use, or to be used, as type set up or copy for printing.

Also alive .Electricity. electrically connected to a source of potential difference, or electrically charged so as to have a potential different from that of earth: a live wire.

adverb

(of a radio or television program) at the moment of its happening or being performed; not on tape or by prerecording: a program broadcast live.

Origin of live

First recorded in 1535–45; in 1930–35 for def. 11; shortened variant of alive, used attributively

OTHER WORDS FROM live

liveness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use live in a sentence

One Eastern Conference assistant who changed teams this offseason said that his wife and children are living more than 1,000 miles away because he felt it was safer not to move them to his new market.
The NBA’s week of controversies show how hard life is outside of the bubble|Ben Golliver|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
The anthem is polarizing because we live in a polarized society.
The pregame national anthem — in all its roiling contradictions — still has something to offer|Barry Svrluga|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Either way, this update is from a few months back and Google is now just announcing that it went live.
Google Image Search update reduces duplicate image results|Barry Schwartz|February 11, 2021|Search Engine Land
Google has updated us that passage ranking, as they are now properly calling it, went live on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, in the afternoon Pacific Time for queries in the US in English.
Google passage ranking now live in US English search results|Barry Schwartz|February 11, 2021|Search Engine Land

Conference rules prevented Puget Sound fans or families from attending the game, although 4,200 viewers tuned in via live stream.
For this college football team, covid means the season starts in February — with Senior Day|Glynn A. Hill|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.
LIVE Coverage of the Paris Terror Attacks||January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That article noted that the F-35 does not currently have the ability to down-link live video to ground troops,.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We were barely into the appetizer when he asked a fairly basic question—where did my family live?
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And how we want to live our lives in light of those differences.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Despite his efforts to live in the present, he seemed haunted by the specter of his father.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And that was that if he and his wife were to ever live together again and be happy, the family were to be kept out of it.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
"I don't know whether I am going to like this or not--this coming to live in town," thought the little pig.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
My son,” said Grabantak one evening to Chingatok, “if we are henceforth to live in peace, why not unite and become one nation?
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Their opportunities and earnings are relatively small, and in order to live they must figure closely.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Understandingthe best way to live,United for Serviceour Country to give.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for live (1 of 2)

live¹

/ (lɪv) /

verb (mainly intr)

to show the characteristics of life; be alive

to remain alive or in existence

to exist in a specified wayto live poorly

(usually foll by in or at) to reside or dwellto live in London

(often foll by on) to continue or lastthe pain still lives in her memory

(usually foll by by) to order one's life (according to a certain philosophy, religion, etc)

(foll by on, upon, or by) to support one's style of life; subsistto live by writing

(foll by with) to endure the effects (of a crime, mistake, etc)

(foll by through) to experience and survivehe lived through the war

(tr) to pass or spend (one's life, etc)

to enjoy life to the fullhe knows how to live

(tr) to put into practice in one's daily life; expresshe lives religion every day

live and let live to refrain from interfering in others' lives; to be tolerant

where one lives US informal in one's sensitive or defenceless position

Word Origin for live

Old English libban, lifian; related to Old High German libēn, Old Norse lifa

British Dictionary definitions for live (2 of 2)

live²

/ (laɪv) /

adjective

(prenominal) showing the characteristics of life

(usually prenominal) of, relating to, or abounding in lifethe live weight of an animal

(usually prenominal) of current interest; controversiala live issue

actuala real live cowboy

informal full of life and energy

(of a coal, ember, etc) glowing or burning

(esp of a volcano) not extinct

loaded or capable of explodinga live bomb

radio television transmitted or present at the time of performance, rather than being a recordinga live show

(of a record)

recorded in concert
recorded in one studio take, without overdubs or splicing

connected to a source of electric powera live circuit

(esp of a colour or tone) brilliant or splendid

acoustically reverberanta live studio

sport (of a ball) in play

(of rocks, ores, etc) not quarried or mined; native

being in a state of motion or transmitting power; positively connected to a driving member

printing

(of copy) not yet having been set into type
(of type that has been set) still in use

adverb

during, at, or in the form of a live performancethe show went out live

Word Origin for live

C16: from on live alive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with live

live

In addition to the idioms beginning with live

live and learn
live and let live
live by one's wits
live dangerously
live down
live for the moment
live from day to day
live from hand to mouth
live happily ever after
live high off the hog
live in
live in each other's pockets
live in sin
live it up
live like a king
live on
live on borrowed time
live on the edge
live out
live through
live together
live up to
live wire
live with

also see:

alive (live) and kicking
as I live and breathe
close to home (where one lives)
(live from) day to day
fat of the land, live off the
high off the hog, live
in one's pocket (live in each other's pockets)
learn to live with
people who live in glass houses

live

Idioms about live

Origin of live

Words nearby live

Other definitions for live (2 of 2)

Origin of live

OTHER WORDS FROM live

Words related to live

How to use live in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for live (1 of 2)

Word Origin for live

British Dictionary definitions for live (2 of 2)

Word Origin for live

Other Idioms and Phrases with live