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

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

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

The taxi operator positions its services in the premium segment, and has survived through periods of disruptive competition from ride-hailing services.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It is what you feel when your nation has survived, your hostages are home and your children can dream again.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She is survived by two adopted children, Duke and Dexter Keaton.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But unlike nicotine or narcotics, food is something that all people need to survive, so quitting cold turkey isn’t an option.

Read more on Salon

“There’s no way I could rely on that income to survive,” she said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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