live

I. live1 S1 W1 /lɪv/ verb
[Word Family: verb: live, outlive, relive, liven, up; adjective: live, lively, living, liveable; noun: liveliness, living, livelihood; adverb: live]
[Language: Old English; Origin: libban]
1. IN A PLACE/HOME [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if you live in a place, you have your home there
  live in/at/near etc
   • They lived in Holland for ten years.
   • He lives just across the street from me.
   • We live only a few miles from the coast.
   • A rather odd family came to live next door to us.
   • As soon as I saw the place, I knew I didn’t want to live there.
   • Does Paul still live here?
   • We’re still looking for somewhere to live.
   • They’ve finally found a place to live.
  live with
   • My grandmother came to live with us when I was ten.
   • Most seventeen-year-olds still live at home (=live with their parents).
   • I’m quite happy living alone.
   • The house has 3,600 square feet of living space (=the areas of a house you live in).
  live rough British English (=live outside because of having no home)
   • I ran away from home and lived rough for nine months.
2. PLANT/ANIMAL [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] a plant or animal that lives in a particular place grows there or has its home there
  live in/on etc
   • These particular birds live on only one island in the Pacific.
3. AT A PARTICULAR TIME [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if you live at a particular time, you are alive then
  live before/in/at
   • He lived in the eighteenth century.
   • She lived at a time when women were not expected to work.
   • Gladstone lived during a period of great social change.
  the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time)
   • He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived.
4. BE/STAY ALIVE [intransitive] to be alive or be able to stay alive:
   • Without light, plants couldn’t live.
   • He is extremely ill and not expected to live.
   • The baby only lived a few hours.
   • People on average are living much longer than before.
   • I’ll never forget this for as long as I live.
  live to (be) 80/90 etc/live to the age of 80/90 etc
   • My grandmother lived to 85.
   • She lived to the age of 79.
  have two weeks/six months etc to live
   • He knows he’s only got a few months to live.
   • He did not live to see (=live long enough to see) the realization of his dream.
5. WAY OF LIFE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to have a particular type of life, or live in a particular way
  live in peace/poverty etc
   • The people in this country just want to live in peace.
   • People should not live in fear of crime.
   • We live in hope that a cure will be found.
  live peacefully/quietly/happily etc
   • The two communities live peacefully alongside each other.
   • She thought that she would get married and live happily ever after (=like in a children’s story).
   • Some people like to live dangerously.
   • Most elderly people prefer to live independently if they can.
   • They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc).
   • I just want to live my life in my own way.
   • He’s not well enough to live a normal life.
  live a quiet/active/healthy etc life
   • She lives a very busy life.
   • He had chosen to live the life of a monk.
   • She’s now in Hollywood living a life of luxury.
  live by
   • I have always tried to live by my faith (=according to my religion).
   • We struggle on, living from day to day (=trying to find enough money each day to buy food etc).
   • He was tired of living out of a suitcase (=spending a lot of time travelling).
6. EARN A LIVING [intransitive] the way that someone lives is the way that they earn money to buy food etc:
   • Fishing is the way their families have lived for generations.
  live by doing something
   • They live by hunting and killing deer.
7. EXCITING LIFE [intransitive] to have an exciting life:
   • She wanted to get out and live a little.
   • We’re beginning to live at last!
8. IMAGINE SOMETHING [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to imagine that things are happening to you
  live in
   • He lives in a fantasy world.
  live through
   • She lived through her children’s lives.
   • You must stop living in the past (=imagining that things from the past are still happening).
9. BE KEPT SOMEWHERE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British English informal the place where something lives is the place where it is kept:
   • Where do these cups live?
   • Those big dishes live in the cupboard next to the fridge.
10. STILL EXIST/HAVE INFLUENCE [intransitive] if an idea lives, it continues to exist and influence people:
   • Democracy still lives!
   • His name will live forever.
   • That day will always live in my memory.
11. living quarters the part of a building where people live, especially a building that is used by many people or is used for several different purposes:
   • the White House living quarters
12. living expenses the money you need to spend in order to live, for example on food or a house:
   • His tuition is paid, but he’ll work to cover his living expenses.
13. living arrangements the way someone organizes how and where they will live:
   • Her mother disapproved of the living arrangements, saying that two girls living with four boys was bound to cause problems.
14. live it up informal to do things that you enjoy and spend a lot of money:
   • Sam was living it up in London.
15. live by your wits to get money by being clever or dishonest, and not by doing an ordinary job
16. live a lie to pretend all the time that you feel or believe something when actually you do not feel that way:
   • I knew that I could not continue to live a lie.
17. be living on borrowed time to be still alive after the time that you were expected to die:
   • She’s been living on borrowed time for the last year.
18. live in sin old-fashioned if people live in sin, they live together and have a sexual relationship without being married ⇨ live together
19. live and breathe something to enjoy doing something so much that you spend most of your time on it:
   • Politics is the stuff I live and breathe.
20. you live and learn spoken used to say that you have just learned something that you did not know before
21. live and let live used to say that you should accept other people’s behaviour, even if it seems strange
22. you haven’t lived (if/until ...) spoken used to say that someone’s life will be boring if they do not do a particular exciting thing:
   • You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted champagne.
23. somebody will live to regret it used to say that someone will wish that they had not done something:
   • If you marry him, you’ll live to regret it.
24. live to see/fight another day to continue to live or work after a failure or after you have dealt with a difficult situation:
   • Hopefully, the company will live to fight another day.
25. live life to the full to enjoy doing a lot of different things:
   • She believes in living life to the full.
26. live high on the hog used to say that someone has a nice life because they have a lot of money and buy expensive things – often used to show disapproval
27. live from hand to mouth to have only just enough money to buy food:
   • We lived from hand to mouth, never knowing where the next meal was coming from.
28. long live the King/Queen! etc spoken used as an expression of loyal support for a person
29. long live democracy/freedom etc used to say that you hope something continues to exist for a long time:
   • Long live free education!

THESAURUS

   ▪ live to have your home somewhere: • He lives with his parents. | • Where do you live? | • Do you like living in Tokyo? | • Jo lives next to a busy road. | • Judy lives in that nice house on the corner. | • How do you like living in the city again after so many years away from it? | • In 1905 Russell was living at 4 Ralston Street.
   ▪ be from/come from use this when talking about the country, city, or area where you usually live: • My name’s Sharon and I’m from Harlow. | • The man is believed to be from somewhere in the north of England. | • ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m from Japan.’ | • The winner came from Australia.
   ▪ inhabit if a group of people or animals inhabit an area, they live there. Used especially in written descriptions: • The island is mainly inhabited by sheep. | • Some tribes still inhabit the more remote mountains and jungles of the country.
   ▪ reside formal to live in a particular country, city etc: • She now resides in the US. | • Miss Badu grew up in Dallas but now resides in Brooklyn. | • At that time there were many American writers residing in Paris. | • Miss Tonelli, how exactly did you come to reside at your current address? | • The government bureau has prepared a booklet for US citizens residing abroad.
   ▪ grow up to live somewhere when you are a child or teenager: • This is the neighborhood where my father grew up. | • I grew up on a farm in South Africa.
live something ↔ down phrasal verb
   if someone does not live something down, people never forget about it and never stop laughing at them for it:
   • She’ll never live that down!
live for something phrasal verb
   if you live for something, it is the thing that you enjoy or hope for most in your life:
   • He lived for his art.
   • She had nothing left to live for.
   • She lives for the day when she can have a house of her own.
live in phrasal verb British English
   if someone lives in, they live in the place where they work ⇨ live-in:
   • Sometimes it can be easier if you have a nanny who lives in.
live off somebody/something phrasal verb
   to get your income or food from a supply of money or from another person:
   • Mom used to live off the interest from her savings.
   • Dad lost his job and we had to live off welfare.
   • Most people in the countryside live off the land (=live by growing or finding their own food).
live on phrasal verb
  1. if something lives on, it continues to exist:
   • Alice’s memory will live on.
  2. live on something to have a particular amount of money to buy food and other necessary things:
   • I don’t know how they manage to live on £55 a week.
   • the number of families who live on benefits
  3. live on something to eat a lot of a particular type of food:
   • They live on bread and potatoes.
   • He practically lives on fish and chips!
live out phrasal verb
  1. British English if someone lives out, they do not live in the place where they work:
   • Most home helps prefer to live out.
  2. live out something to experience or do something that you have planned or hoped for SYN fulfil, realize:
   • The money enabled them to live out their dreams.
  3. live out your life to continue to live in a particular way or place until you die:
   • He lived out his life in solitude.
live through something phrasal verb
   to experience difficult or dangerous conditions SYN endure:
   • the generation that lived through the Second World War
   • It was hard to describe the nightmare she had lived through.
live together phrasal verb
   if people live together, they live in the same house and have a sexual relationship but are not married ⇨ live with:
   • They lived together for two years before they got married.
live up to something phrasal verb
   if something or someone lives up to a particular standard or promise, they do as well as they were expected to, do what they promised etc:
   • The bank is insolvent and will be unable to live up to its obligations.
   • The film has certainly lived up to my expectations.
live with somebody/something phrasal verb
  1. to accept a difficult situation that is likely to continue for a long time SYN put up with, tolerate:
   • You have to learn to live with stress.
   • He has lived with his illness for most of his life.
  2. to live in the same house as someone and have a sexual relationship with them without being married ⇨ live together:
   • She’s living with her boyfriend now.
  3. if something lives with you, it stays in your mind:
   • That episode has lived with me all my life.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

live

▪ I. live 1 [live lives lived living] [lɪv] [lɪv] verb

see also live2

IN A PLACE

1. intransitive + adv./prep. to have your home in a particular place

• to live in a house

• Where do you live?

• She needs to find somewhere to live.

• We used to live in London.

• Both her children still live at home.

• (BrE, informal) Where do these plates live (= where are they usually kept)?

BE ALIVE

2. intransitive to remain alive

• The doctors said he only had six months to live.

• Spiders can live for several days without food.

• ~ to do sth She lived to see her first grandchild.

3. intransitive to be alive, especially at a particular time

• When did Handel live?

• He's the greatest player who ever lived.

TYPE OF LIFE

4. intransitive, transitive to spend your life in a particular way

• He lived in poverty most of his life.

• ~ sth She lived a very peaceful life.

• They lived their lives to the full.

• + noun She lived and died a single woman.

BE REMEMBERED

5. intransitive to continue to exist or be remembered

Syn: remain

• This moment will live in our memory for many years to come.

• Her words have lived with me all my life.

HAVE EXCITEMENT

6. intransitive to have a full and exciting life

• I don't want to be stuck in an office all my life— I want to live!

Rem: or

more at be (living) on borrowed time at borrow, be/live in clover at clover, how the other half lives at half n., lead/live the life of Riley at life, long live sb/sth at long adv., people (who live) in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at people n., be/live in each other's pockets at pocket n., live/sleep rough at rough adv.

Idioms: live a lie ▪ live and breathe something ▪ live and let live ▪ live by your wits ▪ live hand to mouth ▪ live in sin ▪ live in the past ▪ live it up ▪ live off the fat of the land ▪ live off the land ▪ live to fight another day ▪ you haven't lived ▪ you live and learn

Derived: live by doing something ▪ live by something ▪ live for somebody ▪ live in ▪ live off somebody ▪ live off something ▪ live on ▪ live on something ▪ live out ▪ live out something ▪ live something down ▪ live through something ▪ live together ▪ live up to something ▪ live with somebody ▪ live with something

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

live / lɪv / verb [ I ] (BE ALIVE)

B1 :

He only lived a few days after the accident.(to continue) to be alive or have life

[ + to infinitive ] I hope I live to see my grandchildren.

Her granny lived to the ripe old age of 94.

Can the right to live ever be denied to any human?

She lived on well into her 90s.

live / lɪv / verb (HAVE A HOME)

live in, at, etc. A1 to have your home somewhere:

Where do you live?

We live in London.

Some students live on the University campus.

He lives with four other people in a shared house.

[ I ] informal to be kept usually in a particular place:

Where do the knives live in your kitchen?

I'm not sure where this bowl lives.

live / lɪv / verb [ I usually + adv/prep , T ] (SPEND LIFE)

B1 to spend your life in a particular way:

After a while you get used to living alone.

When you retire, you want to live a comfortable life.

So the couple got married and lived happily ever after .

He simply wants to live (out) (= experience) the rest of his days in peace.

The TV's broken - we'll just have to live without (= not have) it for a while.

She certainly lived her life to the full (= was always doing something interesting) .

figurative The US is living beyond its means (= spending more than it earns) .

live / lɪv / verb [ I ] (STAY ALIVE)

C2 to stay alive, especially by getting enough money to pay for food, a place to stay, clothing, etc.:

For several years she lived by begging.

She has an inheritance to live off ( US also live off of ) so she doesn't need to work.

He only agreed to marry her so he could live off her (money).

live / lɪv / verb [ I ] (CONTINUE)

(of things that are not alive) to exist or continue to exist:

The memory of those terrible days lives on .

live / lɪv / verb [ I ] (INTERESTING LIFE)

to have an interesting life:

I want to live a bit before I settle down.

If you haven't seen Venice, you haven't lived.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

live

I VERB USES

lives, living, lived
(Pronounced [lɪ̱v] in live 1, and [la͟ɪv] in live 2.)
1) VERB If someone lives in a particular place or with a particular person, their home is in that place or with that person.
  [V adv/prep] She has lived here for 10 years...
  [V adv/prep] She always said I ought to live alone...
  [V adv/prep] Where do you live?...
  [V adv/prep] He still lives with his parents.
2) VERB If you say that someone lives in particular circumstances or that they live a particular kind of life, you mean that they are in those circumstances or that they have that kind of life.
  [V adv/prep] We lived quite grandly...
  [V adv/prep] Compared to people living only a few generations ago, we have greater opportunities to have a good time...
  [V n] We can start living a normal life again now.
  [V-ing] ...the local support group for people living with HIV and AIDS.
3) VERB If you say that someone lives for a particular thing, you mean that it is the most important thing in their life.
  [V for n] He lived for his work.
4) VERB To live means to be alive. If someone lives to a particular age, they stay alive until they are that age.
  [V adv] He's got a terrible disease and will not live long...
  [V adv] A perennial is a plant that lives indefinitely...
  [V to-inf] He lived to be 103...
  [V to-inf] My father died nigh on ten years ago, but he lived to see his first grandson...
  [V to n] Matilda was born in northern Italy in 1046 and apparently lived to a ripe old age...
  [V-ing] The blue whale is the largest living thing on the planet...
  [V-ing] Ian was her only living relative.
5) VERB: no cont If people live by doing a particular activity, they get the money, food, or clothing they need by doing that activity.
  [V by -ing/n] ...the last indigenous people to live by hunting...
  [V by -ing/n] These crimes were committed largely by professional criminals who lived by crime.
6) VERB If you live by a particular rule, belief, or ideal, you behave in the way in which it says you should behave.
  [V by n] They live by the principle that we are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we want from it.
7) VERB: no cont If a person or occasion lives in someone's mind or in history, they are remembered for a long time.
  [V with n] The memory of that will live with me for many years to come...
  [V in n] His name will live in history as one of the greatest bowlers of all time...
PHRASAL VERB
Live on means the same as live. Also V P V P in n Lenin lives on in the minds and hearts of millions of people.
8) → See also living
9) PHRASE: Vs inflect, PHR n (emphasis) If you say that someone lives and breathes a particular subject or activity, you are emphasizing that they are extremely enthusiastic about it.
  He has lived and breathed polo since he was seven.
10) PHRASE: have inflects, usu PHR with cl If you tell someone that they haven't lived unless they experience a particular thing, you are telling them that thing is extremely good and should be experienced.
  If you have never been to an opera, you haven't lived...
  You haven't lived until you've used their new micro system.
11) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR of -ing/n You can use expressions such as to live in fear and to live in terror to indicate that someone is always thinking about an unpleasant or frightening event, because they think that it might happen.
  One in 10 Californians is unemployed and thousands more live in fear of losing their jobs.
12) CONVENTION You say live and let live as a way of saying that you should let other people behave in the way that they want to and not criticize them for behaving differently from you.
13) PHRASE: V inflects If you live it up, you have a very enjoyable and exciting time, for example by going to lots of parties or going out drinking with friends. [INFORMAL]
  There is no reason why you couldn't live it up once in a while.
14) to live hand to mouth → see hand
to live a lie → see lie
to live beyond your means → see means
to live in sin → see sin
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - live down
  - live off
  - live on
  - live off
  - live on
  - live out
  - live through
  - live together
  - live up toII ADJECTIVE USES

(Pronounced [lɪ̱v] in live 1, and [la͟ɪv] in live 2.)
1) ADJ: ADJ n Live animals or plants are alive, rather than being dead or artificial.
  ...a protest against the company's tests on live animals.
  ...baskets of live chickens.
  Ant:
  dead
2) ADJ A live television or radio programme is one in which an event or performance is broadcast at exactly the same time as it happens, rather than being recorded first.
  Murray was a guest on a live radio show.
  ...we were laughing and gossiping, oblivious to the fact that we were on live TV...
  They watch all the live matches...
  A broadcast of the speech was heard in San Francisco, but it is not known if this was live.
  Ant:
  pre-recorded
ADV: ADV after v
Live is also an adverb. It was broadcast live in 50 countries... We'll be going live to Nottingham later in this bulletin.
3) ADJ: usu ADJ n A live performance is given in front of an audience, rather than being recorded and then broadcast or shown in a film.
  The Rainbow has not hosted live music since the end of 1981...
  A live audience will pose the questions...
  The band was forced to cancel a string of live dates.
  Ant:
  recorded
ADV: ADV after v
Live is also an adverb. Kat Bjelland has been playing live with her new band.
4) ADJ: usu ADJ n A live recording is a recording of a band playing at a concert, rather than in a studio.
  This is my favourite live album of all time...
  The LP features live recordings from the `Great Xpectations' all-day show.
5) ADJ: usu ADJ n A live wire or piece of electrical equipment is directly connected to a source of electricity.
  The plug broke, exposing live wires...
  He warned others about the live electric cables as they climbed to safety.
6) ADJ: usu ADJ n Live bullets are made of metal, rather than rubber or plastic, and are intended to kill people rather than injure them.
  They trained in the jungle using live ammunition.
7) ADJ: usu ADJ n A live bomb or missile is one which has not yet exploded.
  A live bomb had earlier been defused.
8) PHRASE: V inflects If a system, campaign, or other course of action goes live, it starts to be used. [mainly BRIT]
  The new system went live earlier this year...
  The service should go live this summer.
9) PHRASE: PHR n You use real live to say that someone or something is present or exists, when you want to indicate that you think this is exciting and unusual or unexpected. [INFORMAL]
  He had never met a real live admiral...
  She has the best pet of all - a real live tiger.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹live /ˈlɪv/ verb lives; lived; liv·ing
1 [no obj]
a : to be alive
• We learned about the people who lived during colonial times.
• I wonder what it was like to live then.
• She's one of the greatest writers who ever lived.
• It was one of the largest animals that has ever lived.
b : to continue to be alive
• He lived to the age of 92.
• He's very sick and he may not live much longer.
• I hope to live (long enough) to see my grandchildren grow up.
• I hope I live to see the day when you admit you've been wrong about me!
• I'll remember that day for as long as I live.
• She's living on borrowed time. [=she is continuing to live after she was expected to die, but she will probably die soon]
• Long live the Queen/King! [=may the Queen/King live for many years]
2 [no obj]
a : to have a home in a specified place
• He lives next door to his parents.
• We lived in the city/suburbs/country.
• I live on Main St. [=my house is on Main St.]
• It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
• He's still living at home (with his parents).
• animals living in zoos
b of a plant or animal : to grow naturally in a specified place or area
• Tigers don't live in Africa. [=there are no tigers in the wild in Africa]
• We've been studying the plants and animals that live in this area.
3 : to spend your life in a certain way or condition

[no obj]

• They live well/simply.
• He likes to live dangerously.
• They lived peacefully for many years.
• animals living in captivity
• We know very little about how people in these ancient cultures lived.
• They all lived happily ever after. [=they all lived happily for the rest of their lives]
• He is living within/beyond his means. [=he can/cannot afford the things that he buys or the way he lives]

[+ obj]

• If she believes that, she's living a fantasy. [=she is not seeing or accepting reality]
• They are living the American Dream. [=they are experiencing success in America]
4 [no obj] : to have an enjoyable and exciting life
• Now that he's retired he just wants to live a little. [=to spend time doing enjoyable things]
• You haven't lived until you've had a piece of my mom's apple pie! [=you would greatly enjoy my mom's apple pie]
5 [+ obj]
a : to spend (your life or part of your life) in a specified way
• They lived (the rest of) their lives in quiet retirement.
• He had lived a childhood free from worry.
• She lived her final years in seclusion.
• He lived life to the full/fullest. [=he fully enjoyed his life]
b : to have (a particular kind of life)
• She wants to live [=lead] a more productive life.
• They live a normal life.
• They are living a life of luxury.
• He made a lot of money in the stock market and he's been living the good life [=living the life of a wealthy person] ever since.
6 [no obj] : to continue to exist
• The good that people do lives long after they are gone.
• That day will always live in my memory. [=I will always remember that day]
7 [no obj] chiefly Brit informal : to belong in a specified place : to be located or stored
• “Where does this book live?” “It goes/belongs on the top shelf.”
live a lie
- see ⁴lie
live and breathe
- see breathe
live and learn or you live and (you) learn informal
- used to say that you have learned something from an experience that is surprising and usually unpleasant
• I thought I could trust him, but I couldn't. Oh well, you live and learn.
live and let live : to let others live the way they want to
• His philosophy was to live and let live.
live by [phrasal verb]
1 live by (something) : to agree with and follow (something, such as a set of beliefs)
• He tried to live by his faith.
• a principle I try to live by
2 a live by (doing something) : to survive by (doing something)
• They were an ancient people who lived by hunting and gathering.
b live by your wits : to survive by doing clever and sometimes dishonest things
• Out in the jungle, with no food or shelter, he had to live by his wits.
• a young thief who lives by her wits
live down [phrasal verb] live down (something) or live (something) down : to stop being blamed or laughed at for (something, such as a foolish or embarrassing error)
• He has a very bad reputation to live down.
- often used in negative statements
• I can't believe I forgot my wife's birthday! I'll never live this down.
live for [phrasal verb] live for (something)
1 : to wait or hope for (something) very eagerly
• I live for the day when we'll be together!
2 : to think of (something) as the most important or enjoyable part of your life
• She lives for her work. : to think of (something) as a reason for being alive
• He's depressed and feels as if he has nothing left to live for.
live in [phrasal verb] chiefly Brit : to live in the place where you work : to live in another person's home
• a maid who lives in
live in hope
- see ²hope
live in sin old-fashioned : to live together and have sex without being married
• His mother did not want him living in sin with his girlfriend.
live in the past : to think too much about something that happened in the past
• You have to accept that he's gone and stop living in the past.
live it up informal : to do exciting and enjoyable things
• He's been living it up out in California with his friends.
live large US slang : to live like a very wealthy and successful person
• a star who is living large
live off [phrasal verb] live off (something or someone) : to use (someone or something) as a source of the money or other things you need to live
• He has been living off his inheritance.
• He has been living off his girlfriend. [=his girlfriend has been supporting him financially]
• farmers who live off the land
live on [phrasal verb]
1 : to continue to exist
• His legend lives on.
2 live on (something)
a : to have or use (an amount of money) to pay for the things that you need to live
• You can't live on this salary. [=this salary does not provide enough money for food, shelter, etc.]
b : to have (a particular food) as the only or main food that you eat
• They lived mainly/mostly on fruits and berries.
live out [phrasal verb]
1 Brit : to live away from the place where you work
• a servant who lives out
2 live out (something) or live (something) out
a : to spend the rest of (your life) in a specified way
• He lived out (the final years of) his life in quiet retirement.
b : to do (the things you have dreamed of doing)
• He has finally had the chance to live out his dreams/fantasies.
live through [phrasal verb]
1 live through (something) : to survive (an experience, a troubling time, etc.) : endure
• If I can live through this, I can live through anything.
2 live through (someone) US sometimes disapproving : to enjoy the experiences and achievements of (another person) instead of your own experiences and achievements
• She can't live through her daughter.
live together [phrasal verb] : to live with another person and have sex without being married
• They lived together for several months before getting married.
live up to [phrasal verb] live up to (something)
1 : to do what is required by (something)
• She lived up to her promises. [=she kept her promises]
2 : to be good enough for (something)
• He has found it difficult to live up to his name/reputation. [=to be as good/successful as people think he is or should be]
• Their vacation didn't live up to their expectations. [=their vacation wasn't as good as they expected it to be]
live with [phrasal verb]
1 live with (something) : to accept and deal with (something unpleasant)
• You have to learn to live with [=put up with] other people's mistakes.
• I don't agree with his decision, but I'll have to live with it.
• Until we get a better answer, we will have to live with not knowing for sure.
• Because there was no cure, he had to learn to live with the disease.
2 live with (someone) : to live together and usually have sex with (someone)
• She's been living with him since college.