live

I UK [lɪv] / US verb
Word forms "live":
present tense I/you/we/they live he/she/it lives present participle living past tense lived past participle lived
***

1) [intransitive] to have your home in a particular place

Paris is a nice place to live.

live in/near/on/at etc:

They lived in a basement flat in South London.

I think he lives somewhere near Bath.

live at home (= in your parents' home):

Do you still live at home?

2) [intransitive/transitive] to have a particular kind of life

people living in poverty

They have lived under military rule for nineteen years.

Food is inexpensive here, so you can live quite cheaply.

live well/comfortably (= have a pleasant life with plenty of money):

I had a good salary then, and we lived pretty well.

live a full/quiet/busy life:

Now they have retired and want to live a quiet life.

live a life of crime/luxury/hardship:

She was destined from birth to live a life of hardship.

3) [intransitive] to keep yourself alive in a particular way

live by doing something:

The Aymaras live by hunting and fishing in the Desaguadero river.

live on/off something:

Millions of families are living on benefits.

4)

a) [intransitive] to be alive, or to stay alive

She's not expected to live long.

Who wants to live forever?

live to the age of.../live to be...:

Despite her unhealthy lifestyle, Aunt Joan lived to be 86.

live to do something (= live long enough to do it):

He lived to see the first talking pictures.

b) to be alive in a particular time

He's one of the greatest pianists who ever lived.

live in/at/before/after:

Hippodamus lived in the early fifth century BC.

5) [intransitive] to continue to exist and have influence

The spirit of revolution still lives.

live in someone's memory:

The events of that day have always lived in my memory.

6) [intransitive] to have an interesting and exciting life

Come on, you have to live a little!

7) [intransitive] informal to be usually kept in a particular place

live in/on/under:

The box lives on the top shelf there.

•

live beyond/within your means — to have a way of life in which you spend more money than you earn/less money than you earn

live by/on your wits — to have no real job but make the money that you need by being clever or dishonest

live for/in the moment — to enjoy the present time and not worry about the future

live in fear (of) — to be afraid of something or someone all the time

live in sin (with someone) — old-fashioned to share a home and have a sexual relationship without being married

live to fight/see another day — to be ready to continue with your life or job despite a defeat or failure

She lost the election, but she'll live to fight another day.

- as I live and breathe

- can live with something

- you haven't lived

- if I live to be a hundred

- live and breathe something

- you live and learn

- live and let live

- live from day to day

- live from hand to mouth

- live in hope

- live in the past

- live it up

- live a lie

- live off the fat of the land

- live off the land

- live to see the day

- live to tell the tale

- someone will live to regret something

Phrasal verbs:

- live by

- live down

- live for

- live in

- live off

- live on

- live out

- live through

- live together

- live up to

- live with

See:

borrow, long II

II UK [laɪv] / US adjective **

1)

a) [only before noun] living and not dead

legislation concerning the transport of live animals

The table shows the rate of infant mortality per 1000 live births.

b) live yoghurt contains the living bacteria that are used to make it

2) a live television or radio programme can be watched or listened to at the same time as it happens

Australia's popular live TV comedy series The Late Show

non-stop live coverage of the trial

a) a live performance is given before an audience

We found a bar that has live music on Friday nights.

b) a live recording is made during a performance and not in a studio

The band are releasing a live album of their recent Japan tour.

3) a live wire or piece of equipment is connected to the electricity supply and has electricity going through it

4) live bullets are real, rather than blanks or rubber or plastic bullets

Police began firing live ammunition into the crowd.

a) a live bomb or missile is capable of exploding because it has not yet been used

b) a live match is capable of producing a flame because it has not yet been used

5) a live issue continues to be important and relevant

We've got to make people realize that drink-driving is still a live issue.

•

- a real live

III UK [laɪv] / US adverb *

if something is broadcast live, it can be watched or listened to at the same time as it happens

The match is being broadcast live tonight on BBC1.

a) if something is performed live, it is performed before an audience

She recently sang live at the Asian Pop Awards ceremony.

b) if something is recorded live, it is recorded during a concert and not in a studio

•

- go live