Alive — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ə-ˈlīv/

Meaning & Definition of Alive

Alive (adjective)

  1. having life, not dead or inanimate
  2. still in existence, force, or operation, active
  3. still active in competition with a chance of victory

Alive (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing life

    "we were relieved to find that the little bird was still alive after crashing into the plate glass window"

    similar: animate, breathing, live, living, quick
    related: active, animated, dynamic, lively, thriving, vibrant, vigorous, vital, vivacious, current, existent, existing, extant, going, prevailing, surviving, resurrected
    opposite: asleep, breathless, cold, dead, deceased, defunct, departed, expired, inanimate, lifeless, nonliving
    near: dying, fading, moribund, stillborn, reposing, resting, ghostlike, ghostly, ghosty, zombielike, absent, extinct, fallen, finished, gone, lapsed, lost, nonexistent, perished, terminated, vanished, wiped out, barren, desert

  2. marked by much life, movement, or activity

    "the mall was alive with holiday shoppers"

    similar: aboil, abubble, abuzz, animated, astir, brisk, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, happening, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, thriving, vibrant
    related: abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, thronging
    opposite: asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy

  3. being in effective operation

    "kept the cause of peace alive despite severe setbacks in relations between the two nations"

    similar: active, functional, functioning, going, live, living, on, operating, operational, operative, running, working, in commission, in force, in gear, on line
    related: effective, effectual, employable, operable, usable, viable, workable, performing, producing, productive, serving, useful, yielding, astir, bustling, busy, dynamic, flourishing, humming, roaring, thriving
    opposite: broken, dead, inactive, inoperative, kaput, nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative
    near: deactivated, decommissioned, ineffective, ineffectual, useless, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, arrested, asleep, dormant, fallow, idle, inert, latent, lifeless, nonproductive, quiescent, sleepy, stagnating, unproductive, vegetating

  4. having being at the present time

    "describes her boyfriend as the sweetest guy alive"

    similar: around, existent, existing, extant, living
    related: active, busy, flourishing, functioning, operating, working
    opposite: dead, extinct, nonextant
    near: defunct, destroyed, exterminated, kaput, departed, gone, lost, nonexistent, idle, inactive, inert

  5. having specified facts or feelings actively impressed on the mind

    "alive to the need for major improvements in the school system"

    similar: apprehensive, aware, cognizant, conscious, mindful, sensible, sentient, ware, witting
    related: alert, attentive, careful, cautious, heedful, observant, open-eyed, regardful, safe, vigilant, wary, watchful, wide-awake, hyperaware, hyperconscious
    opposite: insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting
    near: careless, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, unguarded, unheeding, unwary

Related Entry: Eat alive (phrase)

Eat alive is a different word from Alive. The synonyms below are for eat alive, not for alive.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "We thought we were prepared, but the other team ate us alive."

    similar: annihilate, blow away, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke (slang), smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax (slang), whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, run circles around, wipe the floor with
    related: sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst, crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

Related Entry: Eaten alive (phrase)

Eaten alive is a different word from Alive. The synonyms below are for eaten alive, not for alive.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "We thought we were prepared, but the other team ate us alive."

    similar: annihilated, blown away, bombed, buried, clobbered, creamed, drubbed, dusted, flattened, pasted, routed, shellacked, skinned, skunked, smoked (slang), smothered, snowed under, thrashed, trimmed, tromped, trounced, walloped, waxed (slang), whipped, whomped, whopped, whupped, beaten the pants off, run circles around, wiped the floor with
    related: swept, upset, beaten, bested, conquered, dispatched, hurdled, licked, mastered, overborne, overcome, overmatched, prevailed (over), subdued, surmounted, taken, thrown, triumphed (over), won (against), worsted, crushed, knocked off, knocked over, overpowered, overthrown, overwhelmed, subjugated, upended, vanquished, aced (out), bettered, eclipsed, exceeded, outdistanced, outdone, outfought, outshone, outstripped, overtopped, surpassed, topped, transcended, edged (out), nosed out, pipped (British), capped, excelled, flourished, scored, succeeded, broken, destroyed, done in, finished, slaughtered, sunk

Related Entry: Ate alive (phrase)

Ate alive is a different word from Alive. The synonyms below are for ate alive, not for alive.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "We thought we were prepared, but the other team ate us alive."

    similar: annihilated, blew away, bombed, buried, clobbered, creamed, drubbed, dusted, flattened, pasted, routed, shellacked, skinned, skunked, smoked (slang), smothered, snowed under, thrashed, trimmed, tromped, trounced, walloped, waxed (slang), whipped, whomped, whopped, whupped, beat the pants off, ran circles around, wiped the floor with
    related: swept, upset, beat, bested, conquered, dispatched, hurdled, licked, mastered, overbore, overcame, overmatched, prevailed (over), subdued, surmounted, threw, took, triumphed (over), won (against), worsted, crushed, knocked off, knocked over, overpowered, overthrew, overwhelmed, subjugated, upended, vanquished, aced (out), bettered, eclipsed, exceeded, outdid, outdistanced, outfought, outshone, outstripped, overtopped, surpassed, topped, transcended, edged (out), nosed out, pipped (British), capped, excelled, flourished, scored, succeeded, broke, destroyed, did in, finished, sank, slaughtered

Related Entry: Eats alive (phrase)

Eats alive is a different word from Alive. The synonyms below are for eats alive, not for alive.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "We thought we were prepared, but the other team ate us alive."

    similar: annihilates, blows away, bombs, buries, clobbers, creams, drubs, dusts, flattens, pastes, routs, shellacs, skins, skunks, smokes (slang), smothers, snows under, thrashes, trims, tromps, trounces, wallops, waxes (slang), whips, whomps, whops, whups, beats the pants off, runs circles around, wipes the floor with
    related: sweeps, upsets, beats, bests, conquers, dispatches, hurdles, licks, masters, overbears, overcomes, overmatches, prevails (over), subdues, surmounts, takes, throws, triumphs (over), wins (against), worsts, crushes, knocks off, knocks over, overpowers, overthrows, overwhelms, subjugates, upends, vanquishes, aces (out), betters, eclipses, exceeds, outdistances, outdoes, outfights, outshines, outstrips, overtops, surpasses, tops, transcends, edges (out), noses out, pips (British), caps, excels, flourishes, scores, succeeds, breaks, destroys, does in, finishes, sinks, slaughters

Related Entry: Eating alive (phrase)

Eating alive is a different word from Alive. The synonyms below are for eating alive, not for alive.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "We thought we were prepared, but the other team ate us alive."

    similar: annihilating, blowing away, bombing, burying, clobbering, creaming, drubbing, dusting, flattening, pasting, routing, shellacking, skinning, skunking, smoking (slang), smothering, snowing under, thrashing, trimming, tromping, trouncing, walloping, waxing (slang), whipping, whomping, whopping, whupping, beating the pants off, running circles around, wiping the floor with
    related: sweeping, upsetting, beating, besting, conquering, dispatching, hurdling, licking, mastering, overbearing, overcoming, overmatching, prevailing (over), subduing, surmounting, taking, throwing, triumphing (over), winning (against), worsting, crushing, knocking off, knocking over, overpowering, overthrowing, overwhelming, subjugating, upending, vanquishing, acing (out), bettering, eclipsing, exceeding, outdistancing, outdoing, outfighting, outshining, outstripping, overtopping, surpassing, topping, transcending, edging (out), nosing out, pipping (British), capping, excelling, flourishing, scoring, succeeding, breaking, destroying, doing in, finishing, sinking, slaughtering

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Alive

The most common words with a similar meaning to Alive:

animate, breathing, live, living, quick, aboil, abubble, abuzz, animated, astir, brisk, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, happening, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, thriving, vibrant, active, functional, functioning, going, on, operating, operational, operative, running, working, around, existent, existing, extant, apprehensive, aware

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Alive

Words with the opposite meaning of Alive:

asleep, breathless, cold, dead, deceased, defunct, departed, expired, inanimate, lifeless, nonliving, inactive, sleepy, broken, inoperative, kaput, nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative, extinct, nonextant, insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting

Related Words for Alive

dynamic, vigorous, vital, vivacious, current, prevailing, surviving, resurrected, abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, thronging, effective, effectual, employable, operable, usable, viable, workable, performing, producing, productive, serving, useful, yielding, roaring, alert

Near Antonyms of Alive

dying, fading, moribund, stillborn, reposing, resting, ghostlike, ghostly, ghosty, zombielike, absent, fallen, finished, gone, lapsed, lost, nonexistent, perished, terminated, vanished, wiped out, barren, desert, deactivated, decommissioned, ineffective, ineffectual, useless, inoperable, unusable

Word Forms of Alive

Derived words: aliveness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Alive

Middle English, from Old English on life, from on + līf life

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Alive

Words & Phrases Containing Alive

alive and kicking, alive and well, alive to, eat alive, bring (something) alive, burn alive, come alive, more dead than alive, skin (someone) alive

Frequently Asked Questions about Alive

What does "Alive" mean?

"Alive" means having life, not dead or inanimate. As an adjective, it is defined as: having life, not dead or inanimate. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Alive"?

Other words for "Alive" include animate, breathing, live, living, quick, aboil, abubble and abuzz. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Alive" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Alive"?

There are 95 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Alive". Common alternatives include animate, breathing, live, living, quick, aboil, abubble, abuzz, animated and astir.

What is the opposite of "Alive"?

Antonyms of "Alive" include asleep, breathless, cold, dead, deceased, defunct, departed and expired. Near antonyms include dying, fading, moribund and stillborn.

How do you use "Alive" in a sentence?

Examples of "Alive" in a sentence: "we were relieved to find that the little bird was still alive after crashing into the plate glass window"; "the mall was alive with holiday shoppers"; "kept the cause of peace alive despite severe setbacks in relations between the two nations".

Is "Alive" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Alive" is an adjective.

Is "Alive" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Alive" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Alive"?

"Alive" is pronounced /ə-ˈlīv/.