Live — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective adverb /ˈliv/ (verb) /ˈlīv/ (adjective)

Meaning & Definition of Live

Live (verb)

  1. to be alive, have the life of an animal or plant
  2. to continue alive
  3. to maintain oneself, subsist

Live (adjective)

  1. having life, living
  2. existing in fact or reality, actual
  3. exerting force or containing energy

Live (adverb)

  1. at the actual time of occurrence, during, from, or at a live production

Live (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to have a home

    "he lives next door to the hospital"

    similar: abide, dwell, reside
    related: lodge, settle, stay, frequent, hang (at), haunt, visit, cohabit, inhabit, occupy, people, populate, lease, rent, sublet, tenant

  2. to have life

    "Socrates was a philosopher who lived in ancient Greece"

    similar: be, breathe, exist, subsist
    related: abide, continue, endure, hold on, hold up, keep (on), kick, last, lead, persist, rule, run on, survive, move, flourish, prosper, thrive
    opposite: depart, die, expire, pass away, perish, succumb
    near: disappear, evaporate, vanish, cease, desist, discontinue, end, quit, stop, abate, die (down), ebb, let up, moderate, subside, wane

Live (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being in effective operation

    "didn't realize that the microphone was live and proceeded to make some rather indiscreet comments"

    similar: active, alive, functional, functioning, going, 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

  2. having or showing life

    "there is a tank of live lobsters sitting at the front of the restaurant"

    similar: alive, animate, breathing, 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

Related Entry: Live wire (noun)

Live wire is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live wire, not for live.

  1. a very energetic person

    "the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires"

    similar: dynamo, fireball, pistol
    related: bootstrapper, go-ahead, go-getter, highflier, hummer, hustler, powerhouse, self-starter, achiever, comer, dasher, doer, enterpriser
    near: dawdler, idler, loafer, lounger, trifler, clock-watcher, goldbrick, shirker, slacker, couch potato, deadbeat, do-nothing, drone, layabout, lazybones, slouch, slug, slugabed, sluggard, dallier, laggard, lingerer, loiterer, slowpoke, stick-in-the-mud

  2. an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired

    "that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire"

    similar: bootstrapper, go-ahead, go-getter, highflier, hummer, hustler, powerhouse, self-starter
    related: eager beaver, achiever, comer, doer, enterpriser, he-man, individualist
    near: dawdler, idler, loafer, lounger, putterer, trifler, goldbrick, malingerer, procrastinator, shirker, slacker, drone, lazybones, sluggard, dallier, laggard, lingerer, loiterer, slowpoke, stick-in-the-mud, ignorer, ne'er-do-well, neglecter, daydreamer, dreamer, dropout, quitter

Related Entry: Live up to (phrase)

Live up to is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live up to, not for live.

  1. to give steadfast support to

    "Once elected, she lived up to her campaign promise to balance the state's budget."

    similar: adhere (to), hew (to), keep (to), stand by, stick (to or with), abide by, hold to
    related: cleave (to), advocate, back, champion, confirm, defend, endorse, espouse, support, uphold, accept, adopt, cherish, cultivate, embrace, follow, foster, heed, backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, enforce, reinforce
    opposite: defect (from)
    near: abandon, abnegate, desert, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender, abjure, recall, recant, reconsider, renege, renounce, retract, revoke, take back, unsay, withdraw, controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute, contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, repudiate, back down, back off, backtrack

Related Entry: Live with (phrase)

Live with is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live with, not for live.

  1. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "She was forced to live with the mistakes she had made."

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear (British), lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

Related Entry: Live-box (noun)

Live-box is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live-box, not for live.

  1. as in sheepfold, fence

    similar: cage, coop, corral, hutch, pen, pound, kennel, run, fold, sheepfold, cote, dovecote, henhouse, aquarium, terrarium, fence, kraal, stockade, pigpen

Related Entry: Live-boxes (noun)

Live-boxes is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live-boxes, not for live.

  1. as in sheepfolds, fences

    similar: cages, coops, corrals, hutches, pens, pounds, kennels, runs, folds, sheepfolds, cotes, dovecotes, henhouses, aquariums, terraria, fences, kraals, stockades, pigpens

Related Entry: Live wires (noun)

Live wires is a different word from Live. The synonyms below are for live wires, not for live.

  1. a very energetic person

    "the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires"

    similar: dynamos, fireballs, pistols
    related: bootstrappers, go-aheads, go-getters, highfliers, hummers, hustlers, powerhouses, self-starters, achievers, comers, dashers, doers, enterprisers
    near: dawdlers, idlers, loafers, loungers, triflers, clock-watchers, goldbricks, shirkers, slackers, couch potatoes, deadbeats, do-nothings, drones, layabouts, lazybones, slouches, slugabeds, sluggards, slugs, dalliers, laggards, lingerers, loiterers, slowpokes, stick-in-the-muds

  2. an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired

    "that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire"

    similar: bootstrappers, go-aheads, go-getters, highfliers, hummers, hustlers, powerhouses, self-starters
    related: eager beavers, achievers, comers, doers, enterprisers, he-men, individualists
    near: dawdlers, idlers, loafers, loungers, putterers, triflers, goldbricks, malingerers, procrastinators, shirkers, slackers, drones, lazybones, sluggards, dalliers, laggards, lingerers, loiterers, slowpokes, stick-in-the-muds, ignorers, ne'er-do-wells, neglecters, daydreamers, dreamers, dropouts, quitters

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Live

The most common words with a similar meaning to Live:

abide, dwell, reside, be, breathe, exist, subsist, active, alive, functional, functioning, going, living, on, operating, operational, operative, running, working, animate, breathing, quick, in commission, in force, in gear, on line

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Live

Words with the opposite meaning of Live:

depart, die, expire, pass away, perish, succumb, broken, dead, inactive, inoperative, kaput, nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative, asleep, breathless, cold, deceased, defunct, departed, expired, inanimate, lifeless, nonliving

Related Words for Live

lodge, settle, stay, frequent, hang (at), haunt, visit, cohabit, inhabit, occupy, people, populate, lease, rent, sublet, tenant, continue, endure, hold on, hold up, keep (on), kick, last, lead, persist, rule, run on, survive, move, flourish

Near Antonyms of Live

disappear, evaporate, vanish, cease, desist, discontinue, end, quit, stop, abate, die (down), ebb, let up, moderate, subside, wane, deactivated, decommissioned, ineffective, ineffectual, useless, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, arrested, dormant, fallow, idle, inert, latent

Word Forms of Live

Inflections: lived, living, lives

Origin & Etymology of Live

Middle English, from Old English libban; akin to Old High German lebēn to live

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Live

Words & Phrases Containing Live

lives, live-action, live-bearer, live-box, live down, live-forever, live-in

Frequently Asked Questions about Live

What does "Live" mean?

"Live" means to be alive, have the life of an animal or plant. As an a verb, an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: to be alive, have the life of an animal or plant. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Live"?

Other words for "Live" include abide, dwell, reside, be, breathe, exist, subsist and active. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Live" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Live"?

There are 92 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Live". Common alternatives include abide, dwell, reside, be, breathe, exist, subsist, active, alive and functional.

What is the opposite of "Live"?

Antonyms of "Live" include depart, die, expire, pass away, perish, succumb, broken and dead. Near antonyms include disappear, evaporate, vanish and cease.

How do you use "Live" in a sentence?

Examples of "Live" in a sentence: "he lives next door to the hospital"; "Socrates was a philosopher who lived in ancient Greece"; "didn't realize that the microphone was live and proceeded to make some rather indiscreet comments".

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

"Live" can be used as a verb, an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

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

As an A1-level word, "Live" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Live"?

"Live" is pronounced /ˈliv/ as a verb and /ˈlīv/ as an adjective.