subsist
verb (used without object)
to exist; continue in existence.
subsisted
-
past participleof subsist.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof subsist.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
subsistverb (used without object)to exist; continue in existence.
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.
For decades, Steak ’n Shake subsisted in the middle of the U.S. fast-food pack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Cramped inside vessels overladen with precious cargo, crewmembers subsisted on a miserable diet of hardtack, an unleavened bread, and salted meat and fish that routinely spoiled and left many gravely ill.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
Even Oliver, a man who long subsisted on dips, has nothing bad to say.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025
Back before California was settled by Europeans and others, the Miwok and Nisenan subsisted on a hunter-gatherer diet of acorns, venison, salmon, pine nuts, elderberries, and other berries and plants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2025
They had subsisted on leftovers and the occasional McDonald’s takeout from Window Rock.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
