live
1to 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.
to pass (life): to live a life of ease.
to practice, represent, or exhibit in one's life: to live one's philosophy.
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.
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
1Words Nearby live
Other definitions for live (2 of 2)
of, relating to, or during the life of a living being: Water forms about 50 to 80 percent of an animal's live weight.
characterized by or indicating the presence of living creatures: I stood still and listened to the live sounds of the forest.
Informal. (of a person) energetic and quick to speak or act; animated, spirited, or vivacious: The club members are a really live bunch.
responsive to changing conditions, needs, etc., in an imaginative and proactive way: I like this company—their approach is live and fresh.
Informal. mentally, emotionally, and physically alive, often in a new way; invigorated, confident, and fully engaged: After months of quarantine, I felt live and refreshed being exposed to places outside.During pregame practice we were feeling live and ready for anything.
made up of actual persons: He has several studio albums but rarely performs before a live audience.
(of a radio or television program, podcast, etc.) broadcast or released while happening or being performed; not prerecorded or taped: I watched a live telecast of the royal wedding.
burning or glowing: We roasted our marshmallows over live coals in the firepit.
being in play, as a baseball or football.
(of ammunition)
loaded or unexploded; ready to explode: Watch out—that’s a live grenade!
consisting of real bullets or shot, as opposed to rubber bullets or some other charge; explodable: Security forces used tear gas and live ammunition to break up the riot.
of current interest or importance, as a question or issue; generating much debate or discussion: Sexual harassment in the military is still very much a live issue.
Also a·live [uh-lahyv] /əˈlaɪv/ . electrically charged; carrying an electric current, especially if exposed: Crews safely removed the live wire brought down by a falling tree. On the subway line, the third rail is live.
being highly resonant or reverberant, as an auditorium or concert hall: Plants can absorb the echoes in acoustically live spaces like galleries and gymnasiums.
having resilience or bounce: The basketball was losing air rapidly and was barely live by the end of the game.
moving or imparting motion; powered.
vivid or bright, as color.
still in use, or to be used, as type set up or copy for printing.
(of a radio or television program, podcast, etc.) at the moment of its happening or being performed; not on tape or by prerecording: The program was broadcast live from San Francisco.
Origin of live
2Other words from live
- live·ness, 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 PostThe 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 PostEither 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 LandGoogle 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 LandConference 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.
That article noted that the F-35 does not currently have the ability to down-link live video to ground troops,.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd how we want to live our lives in light of those differences.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd 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 BarnumMy 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. BallantyneTheir opportunities and earnings are relatively small, and in order to live they must figure closely.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsUnderstandingthe best way to live,United for Serviceour Country to give.
British Dictionary definitions for live (1 of 2)
/ (lɪv) /
to show the characteristics of life; be alive
to remain alive or in existence
to exist in a specified way: to live poorly
(usually foll by in or at) to reside or dwell: to live in London
(often foll by on) to continue or last: the 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; subsist: to live by writing
(foll by with) to endure the effects (of a crime, mistake, etc)
(foll by through) to experience and survive: he lived through the war
(tr) to pass or spend (one's life, etc)
to enjoy life to the full: he knows how to live
(tr) to put into practice in one's daily life; express: he 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
Origin of live
1British Dictionary definitions for live (2 of 2)
/ (laɪv) /
(prenominal) showing the characteristics of life
(usually prenominal) of, relating to, or abounding in life: the live weight of an animal
(usually prenominal) of current interest; controversial: a live issue
actual: a 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 exploding: a live bomb
radio television transmitted or present at the time of performance, rather than being a recording: a live show
(of a record)
recorded in concert
recorded in one studio take, without overdubs or splicing
connected to a source of electric power: a live circuit
(esp of a colour or tone) brilliant or splendid
acoustically reverberant: a 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
during, at, or in the form of a live performance: the show went out live
Origin of live
2Collins 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
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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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