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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
live1 verb (lived, living) (intrans in all senses except 7 and 9) 1 to have life. 2 to be alive. 3 to continue to be alive. 4 to survive or to escape death. 5 to have a home or dwelling • We live in a small flat. 6 to lead one's life in a certain way • live well. 7 to pass or spend • live a happy life in the country. 8 to enjoy life passionately or to the full • They really know how to live. 9 to express (one's beliefs, etc) in one's life; to live in accordance with (one's beliefs, etc) • live one's religion. live and breathe something colloq to be very enthusiastic about it • lives and breathes football. live and learn colloq to learn by experience. live beyond one's means colloq to spend more than one can really afford. Compare live within one's means below. live and let live colloq to be tolerant of others and expect toleration in return. live by one's wits see under wit1. live for the moment colloq to live without thinking of the future. live from hand to mouth see under hand. live in an ivory tower colloq often said of academics: to be shut off from reality. live it up colloq to fill one's life with excitement and pleasure, often excessively. live on borrowed time colloq to live longer than might have been expected. live out of a suitcase colloq to live in different places for very short spells, never having time to unpack. live through something to undergo (an unpleasant experience). live within one's means colloq to spend no more than one can afford. live with oneself with negatives and in questions to maintain one's self-respect.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon lifian and libban.
live by something 1 to get a living from it • live by farming. 2 to order one's life according to (certain principles) • lived by the teachings of Christ. live something down said after someone has made a mistake or blunder: to carry on living until something has been forgotten or forgiven by other people • He lived down the shame of his arrest. live for someone or something 1 to make them or it one's main concern. 2 to look forward to it. live in to live in accommodation supplied at one's workplace. live off someone or something to be supported by them or it • live off the land. live on to continue or last • Memories live on. live on something to have a diet that mainly consists of (one kind of food) • live on rice. live with someone usually said where a sexual relationship is implied: to share accommodation with them • He lives with his girlfriend. live with something 1 to continue to suffer from or be haunted by the memory of it • will live with the mistake for the rest of his life. 2 to put up with it • He has to live with psoriasis. live together said of a couple, especially one in a sexual relationship: to share the same home. live up to someone or something 1 to become as respected as them • could never live up to his brother. 2 to turn out in a manner worthy of them or it • tried to live up to her parents' expectations. |
live1 verb (lived, living) (intrans in all senses except 7 and 9) 1 to have life. 2 to be alive. 3 to continue to be alive. 4 to survive or to escape death. 5 to have a home or dwelling • We live in a small flat. 6 to lead one's life in a certain way • live well. 7 to pass or spend • live a happy life in the country. 8 to enjoy life passionately or to the full • They really know how to live. 9 to express (one's beliefs, etc) in one's life; to live in accordance with (one's beliefs, etc) • live one's religion. live and breathe something colloq to be very enthusiastic about it • lives and breathes football. live and learn colloq to learn by experience. live beyond one's means colloq to spend more than one can really afford. Compare live within one's means below. live and let live colloq to be tolerant of others and expect toleration in return. live by one's wits see under wit1. live for the moment colloq to live without thinking of the future. live from hand to mouth see under hand. live in an ivory tower colloq often said of academics: to be shut off from reality. live it up colloq to fill one's life with excitement and pleasure, often excessively. live on borrowed time colloq to live longer than might have been expected. live out of a suitcase colloq to live in different places for very short spells, never having time to unpack. live through something to undergo (an unpleasant experience). live within one's means colloq to spend no more than one can afford. live with oneself with negatives and in questions to maintain one's self-respect.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon lifian and libban.
live by something 1 to get a living from it • live by farming. 2 to order one's life according to (certain principles) • lived by the teachings of Christ. live something down said after someone has made a mistake or blunder: to carry on living until something has been forgotten or forgiven by other people • He lived down the shame of his arrest. live for someone or something 1 to make them or it one's main concern. 2 to look forward to it. live in to live in accommodation supplied at one's workplace. live off someone or something to be supported by them or it • live off the land. live on to continue or last • Memories live on. live on something to have a diet that mainly consists of (one kind of food) • live on rice. live with someone usually said where a sexual relationship is implied: to share accommodation with them • He lives with his girlfriend. live with something 1 to continue to suffer from or be haunted by the memory of it • will live with the mistake for the rest of his life. 2 to put up with it • He has to live with psoriasis. live together said of a couple, especially one in a sexual relationship: to share the same home. live up to someone or something 1 to become as respected as them • could never live up to his brother. 2 to turn out in a manner worthy of them or it • tried to live up to her parents' expectations. |
live1 verb (lived, living) (intrans in all senses except 7 and 9) 1 to have life. 2 to be alive. 3 to continue to be alive. 4 to survive or to escape death. 5 to have a home or dwelling • We live in a small flat. 6 to lead one's life in a certain way • live well. 7 to pass or spend • live a happy life in the country. 8 to enjoy life passionately or to the full • They really know how to live. 9 to express (one's beliefs, etc) in one's life; to live in accordance with (one's beliefs, etc) • live one's religion. live and breathe something colloq to be very enthusiastic about it • lives and breathes football. live and learn colloq to learn by experience. live beyond one's means colloq to spend more than one can really afford. Compare live within one's means below. live and let live colloq to be tolerant of others and expect toleration in return. live by one's wits see under wit1. live for the moment colloq to live without thinking of the future. live from hand to mouth see under hand. live in an ivory tower colloq often said of academics: to be shut off from reality. live it up colloq to fill one's life with excitement and pleasure, often excessively. live on borrowed time colloq to live longer than might have been expected. live out of a suitcase colloq to live in different places for very short spells, never having time to unpack. live through something to undergo (an unpleasant experience). live within one's means colloq to spend no more than one can afford. live with oneself with negatives and in questions to maintain one's self-respect.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon lifian and libban.
live by something 1 to get a living from it • live by farming. 2 to order one's life according to (certain principles) • lived by the teachings of Christ. live something down said after someone has made a mistake or blunder: to carry on living until something has been forgotten or forgiven by other people • He lived down the shame of his arrest. live for someone or something 1 to make them or it one's main concern. 2 to look forward to it. live in to live in accommodation supplied at one's workplace. live off someone or something to be supported by them or it • live off the land. live on to continue or last • Memories live on. live on something to have a diet that mainly consists of (one kind of food) • live on rice. live with someone usually said where a sexual relationship is implied: to share accommodation with them • He lives with his girlfriend. live with something 1 to continue to suffer from or be haunted by the memory of it • will live with the mistake for the rest of his life. 2 to put up with it • He has to live with psoriasis. live together said of a couple, especially one in a sexual relationship: to share the same home. live up to someone or something 1 to become as respected as them • could never live up to his brother. 2 to turn out in a manner worthy of them or it • tried to live up to her parents' expectations. |
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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The unrivalled dictionary for word lovers, now in its 13th edition.
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The Chambers Thesaurus
The Chambers Thesaurus (4th Edition) is a veritable treasure-trove, including the greatest selection of alternative words and phrases available in an A to Z format. -
Chambers Biographical Dictionary
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Thoroughly revised and updated for its 9th edition.
Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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