Oxford Essential Dictionary
alive
adjective
living; not dead:
Are your grandparents alive?
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
alive
a‧live S2 W3 /əˈlaɪv/ BrE AmE adjective [not before noun]
[Language: Old English; Origin: on life 'in life']
1. NOT DEAD still living and not dead:
It was a bad accident – they’re lucky to be alive.
My grandparents are still alive.
We stayed alive by eating berries.
He was kept alive on a life-support machine.
Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil.
2. STILL EXISTING continuing to exist:
Ancient traditions are very much alive in rural areas.
Christianity is alive and well in Asia.
The sport is still very much alive and kicking in this country.
3. CHEERFUL full of energy, happiness, activity etc:
It was the kind of morning when you wake up and feel really alive.
alive with
Her face was alive with excitement.
The whole house was alive with activity.
4. come alive
a) if a subject or event comes alive, it becomes interesting and seems real:
Hopefully, we can make history come alive for the children.
b) if someone comes alive, they suddenly become happy and interested in what is happening:
She only came alive when she sat down at the piano.
c) if a town, city etc comes alive, it becomes busy:
seaside resorts that come alive in the summer
5. be alive to a fact/possibility/danger etc to know that a particular fact etc exists and that it is important:
The company is alive to the threat posed by foreign imports.
6. be alive with something to be full of living things that are moving:
The pond was alive with fish.
7. bring something alive to make something interesting and real:
The way he describes his characters really brings them alive.
⇨ skin somebody alive at ↑skin2(3)
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
alive
alive [əˈlaɪv] [əˈlaɪv] adjective not before noun
1. living; not dead
• We don't know whether he's alive or dead.
• Is your mother still alive?
• Doctors kept the baby alive for six weeks.
• I was glad to hear you're alive and well.
• She had to steal food just to stay alive.
• He was buried alive in the earthquake.
2. ~ (with sth) full of emotion, excitement, activity, etc
• Ed was alive with happiness.
• Her eyes were alive with interest.
3. continuing to exist
• to keep a tradition alive
• Money from charities is keeping the theatre alive.
4. ~ with sth full of living or moving things
• The pool was alive with goldfish.
5. ~ to sth aware of sth; knowing sth exists and is important
• to be alive to the dangers/facts/possibilities
• The government should be alive to the problems faced by industry.
more at eat sb alive at eat
Idioms: alive and kicking ▪ bring something alive ▪ come alive
Word Origin:
Old English on līfe, literally ‘in life’.
Thesaurus:
alive [alive] adj.
• Is he alive or dead?
living • • live • |formal animate •
Opp: dead
a living/live animal/plant/bird
a living/live organism/creature
still alive/living
Alive, living or live? Alive is never used before a noun:
• all living things
¤ all alive things. Living can be used after be but is not usually used after other linking verbs:
• She stole just to stay alive.
¤ She stole just to stay living. Use living to talk about people/animals in a wide context:
• the finest living pianist (= out of all pianists alive today).
Use live to talk about a person or animals in a particular situation:
• I need to talk to a live person (= not a recorded message).
Example Bank:
• Doctors fought to keep her alive.
• Five people were found alive in the wreckage.
• For four days he seemed barely alive.
• He considered himself lucky to escape alive.
• He remained keenly alive to the dangers.
• His eyes were suddenly alive with excitement.
• I feel really alive in the country!
• I wasn't sure if he was still alive.
• It was a very narrow escape and we are lucky to be alive.
• Lost and so far from other human life, he faced a desperate struggle to stay alive.
• My mother is still alive and kicking.
• Poor child, she looks more dead than alive.
• She realized that she had only been half alive for the last four years.
• The art of debate is alive and well in our schools.
• The city comes alive at night.
• The hall was alive with the sound of voices.
• The old customs are still very much alive in this region.
• The old rascal is still very much alive.
• The people try to keep the old traditions alive.
• The police are desperate to catch this man dead or alive.
• The wealth of detail in his book really brings it alive.
• They had little chance of returning alive.
• He is very much alive to new ideas.
• I was glad to hear you're alive and well.
• Is your grandmother still alive?
• She had to steal food just to stay alive.
• They are alive to the fact that the opposing team has not lost a game this season.
• We don't know whether he's alive or dead.
• We're all alive to the dangers of an over-centralized state.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
alive
alive /əˈlaɪv/
adjective
1 [after verb] living; having life; not dead:
He must be ninety if he's still alive.
Doctors kept him alive on a life-support machine.
She's alive and well and living in New Zealand.
2 If something is alive, it continues to exist:
Relatives of the missing sailors are struggling to keep their hopes alive.
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
alive
[əla͟ɪv]
1) ADJ: v-link ADJ, keep n ADJ If people or animals are alive, they are not dead.
She does not know if he is alive or dead...
They kept her alive on a life support machine.
Ant:
dead
2) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ If you say that someone seems alive, you mean that they seem to be very lively and to enjoy everything that they do.
She seemed more alive and looked forward to getting up in the morning...
I never expected to feel so alive in my life again.
3) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ, keep n ADJ If an activity, organization, or situation is alive, it continues to exist or function.
The big factories are trying to stay alive by cutting costs...
Both communities have a tradition of keeping history alive.
Ant:
dead
4) ADJ: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ with n If a place is alive with something, there are a lot of people or things there and it seems busy or exciting.
The river was alive with birds...
The street was alive with the sounds of the soldiers.
5) ADJ: v-link ADJ to n/wh If you are alive to a situation or problem, you are aware of it and realize how important it is.
You must be alive to opportunity!...
He was alive to what he was doing.
6) PHRASE: V inflects If people, places, or events come alive, they start to be lively again after a quiet period. If someone or something brings them alive, they cause them to come alive.
The doctor's voice had come alive and his small eyes shone.
...the songs of birds that bring the garden alive.
7) PHRASE: V inflects If a story or description comes alive, it becomes interesting, lively, or realistic. If someone or something brings it alive, they make it seem more interesting, lively, or realistic.
She made history come alive with tales from her own memories...
From here on he brings the character confidently alive.
8) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone will be eaten alive, you mean that they will be completely destroyed or defeated by someone who is much stronger. [INFORMAL]
He was certain Sid would be eaten alive by the hardened criminals in the jail.
9) PHRASE: v-link PHR (emphasis) If you say that someone or something is alive and kicking, you are emphasizing not only that they continue to survive, but also that they are very active.
There are growing worries that the secret police may still be alive and kicking.
10) PHRASE: v-link PHR (emphasis) If you say that someone or something is alive and well, you are emphasizing that they continue to survive.
A Yorkshire farmer who went missing yesterday during a blizzard has been found alive and well.