life and living

lead

to live a particular type of life

lead a busy, normal, quiet, etc. life

US /liːd/ 
UK /liːd/ 

{زندگی و ...} گذراندن 

مثال: 

He leads a hard life.

او زندگى‌ سختى‌ را مى‌گذراند.‏

Oxford Essential Dictionary

verb (leads, leading, led /, has led)

pronunciation
The word lead usually sounds like feed or need. However, when it means a soft grey metal or the part inside a pencil, it sounds like red or said.

1 to take a person or an animal somewhere by going with them or in front of them:
He led me to the classroom.

2 to go to a place:
This path leads to the river.

3 to make something happen:
Smoking can lead to heart disease.

4 to have a particular type of life:
They lead a very busy life.

5 to be the first or the best, for example in a race or game:
Who's leading in the race?

6 to control a group of people:
The team was led by Gwen Hollis.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

lead

I. lead1 S1 W1 /liːd/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle led /led/)
[Word Family: noun: lead, ↑leader, ↑leadership; adjective: lead, ↑leading; verb: ↑lead]
[Language: Old English; Origin: lædan]
1. TAKE SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE [intransitive and transitive] to take someone somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gently
lead somebody to/into etc something
A nurse took her arm and led her to a chair.
The horses were led to safety.
lead somebody away/down etc
She was led away from the courtroom in tears.
The manager led the way through the office.
2. GO IN FRONT [intransitive and transitive] to go in front of a line of people or vehicles:
A firetruck was leading the parade.
3. BE IN CHARGE [intransitive and transitive] to be in charge of an organization, country, or team, or a group of people who are trying to do something:
He has led the party for over twenty years.
Some people say she is too old to lead the country (=be in charge of its government).
Beckham led his team to victory.
lead an investigation/inquiry/campaign
The investigation will be led by Inspector Scarfe.
They are leading a campaign to warn teenagers about the dangers of drug abuse.
lead a revolt/rebellion/coup etc
The rebellion was led by the King’s brother.
lead an attack/assault
Nelson preferred to lead the attack himself from the front.
a man who was born to lead
a communist-led strike
4. CAUSE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN [intransitive and transitive] to cause something to happen or cause someone to do something
lead to
the events that led to the start of the First World War
A degree in English could lead to a career in journalism.
lead somebody into something
Her trusting nature often led her into trouble.
lead somebody to do something
What led him to kill his wife?
lead to somebody doing something
His actions could lead to him losing his job.
5. CAUSE SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE SOMETHING [transitive] to make someone believe something, especially something that is not true
lead somebody to believe/expect/understand something
He had led everyone to believe that his family was very wealthy.
The hotel was terrible, and not at all what we had been led to expect.
Our research led us to the conclusion that the present system is unfair.
6. INFLUENCE [transitive] to influence someone to make them do something that is wrong
lead somebody into something
His brother led him into a life of crime.
He’s not a bad boy. He’s just easily led (=it is easy for other people to persuade him to do things that he should not do).
7. BE MORE SUCCESSFUL [transitive] to be more successful than other people, companies, or countries in a particular activity
lead the world/market/pack/field
US companies lead the world in biotechnology.
lead the way (=be the first to do something, and show other people how to do it)
The Swedes have led the way in data protection. ⇨ ↑leading1(1)
8. BE WINNING [intransitive and transitive] to be winning a game, competition etc OPP lose:
At half-time, Brazil led 1–0.
With 15 laps to go, Schumacher led the race.
The polls showed Clinton leading Bush 55 percent to 34 percent.
lead by ten points/two goals etc
Nadal was leading by two sets.
9. PATH/DOOR ETC [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] used to say where a path, wire etc goes or what place is on the other side of a door
lead to/towards
The path led down to a small lake.
lead from/out of
the major artery leading from the heart
lead into
the door leading into the hallway
lead somebody to/into something
The riverside path leads visitors to a small chapel.
10. LIFE [transitive] if you lead a particular kind of life, that is what your life is like
lead a normal/quiet/busy etc life
If the operation succeeds, Carly will be able to lead a normal life.
He has led a charmed life (=been very fortunate).
lead a life of luxury/poverty etc
lead the life of a ...
She now leads the life of a recluse.
lead a double life (=deceive people by keeping different parts of your life separate and not letting anyone know the whole truth)
Joe had been leading a double life, seeing an ex-model while his wife believed he was on business.
They lead a nomadic existence.
11. DISCUSSION ETC [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to control the way a discussion, conversation etc develops:
I tried to lead the conversation back to the subject of money.
12. lead somebody up the garden path informal to deliberately deceive someone
13. lead somebody astray
a) to encourage someone to do bad or immoral things which they would not normally do
b) to make someone believe something that is not true
14. lead nowhere/not lead anywhere to not produce any useful result:
So far police investigations seem to have led nowhere.
15. lead by example to show the people you are in charge of what you want them to do by doing it yourself:
The best managers lead by example.
16. lead somebody by the nose to influence someone so much that you can completely control everything that they do:
Politicians think they can easily lead people by the nose.
17. this/that leads (me) to something used to introduce a new subject that is connected to the previous one:
That leads me to my final point. Where are we going to get the money?
18. somebody has their own life to lead used to say that someone wants to be able to live their life independently, without having to do things that other people want them to do
19. lead somebody a merry old dance/a right old dance British English to cause a lot of problems or worries for someone
20. market-led/export-led etc most influenced by the market, by ↑exports etc:
an export-led economic recovery
21. lead the eye if a picture, view etc leads the eye in a particular direction, it makes you look in that direction:
marble columns that lead the eye upward
22. CARD GAME [intransitive and transitive] to play a particular card as your first card in one part of a card game
• • •
THESAURUS
lead to take a person or animal somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gently: Rachel led Jo into the kitchen. | She was leading a horse, which seemed to have a bad leg.
take to take someone somewhere with you when you have the transport, know the way, are paying etc: I took her to see a film. | Matt’s taking me in his car.
guide to take someone through or to a place you know, showing them the way: Ali guided us through the streets to his house on the edge of the town.
show to take someone to a place such as a table in a restaurant or a hotel room and leave them there: A waitress showed us to our table. | We were shown to our seats near the front of the theatre.
point to show someone which direction to go using your hand or a sign: The sign back there pointed this way.
escort to take someone somewhere, protecting them, guarding them, or showing them the way: He was escorted from the court by police. | The President’s car will be escorted by a military convoy.
usher to show someone the way to a room or building nearby, usually as part of your job: His housekeeper ushered us into the living room.
shepherd to carefully take someone somewhere – used especially about a group of people: The police shepherded thousands of people to safety in the cathedral.
direct formal to tell someone where to go or how to get somewhere: He directed us to a cafe a few blocks away. | Can you direct me to the station?
lead off phrasal verb
1. to start a meeting, discussion, performance etc by saying or doing something:
I’d like to lead off by thanking Rick for coming.
lead off with
The French team led off with two quick goals in the first five minutes.
lead something ↔ off
Hal led the evening off with some folk songs.
2. lead off (something) if a road, room etc leads off a place, you can go directly from that place along that road, into that room etc
lead off from something
He pointed down a street leading off from the square.
a large room, with doors leading off it in all directions
3. to be the first player to try to hit the ball in an ↑inning (=period of play) in a game of baseball
lead somebody on phrasal verb
to deceive someone, especially to make them think you love them:
He thought she loved him, but in fact she was just leading him on.
lead on to something (also lead onto something) phrasal verb especially British English
to cause something to develop or become possible at a later time:
Alan Turing’s work led onto the development of modern computers.
lead with something phrasal verb
1. if a newspaper or television programme leads with a particular story, that story is the main one:
The Washington Post leads with the latest news from Israel.
2. to use a particular hand to begin an attack in ↑boxing, or a particular foot to begin a dance:
Adam led with his left and punched his opponent on the jaw.
lead up to something phrasal verb [not in passive]
1. if a series of events or a period of time leads up to an event, it comes before it or causes it:
the weeks that led up to her death
the events leading up to his dismissal
2. to gradually introduce an embarrassing, upsetting, or surprising subject into a conversation:
She had already guessed what he was leading up to.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

lead

 

 

▪ I. lead 1 [lead leads led leading] verb, noun   [liːd]    [liːd] 

see also  lead2

verb (led, led   [led]  ;   [led]  

 

SHOW THE WAY
1. intransitive, transitive to go with or in front of a person or an animal to show the way or to make them go in the right direction
Syn:  guide
If you lead, I'll follow.
~ sb/sth + adv./prep. He led us out into the grounds.
The receptionist led the way to the boardroom.
• She led the horse back into the stable.

(figurative) I tried to lead the discussion back to the main issue.  

 

 

CONNECT TWO THINGS

2. intransitive ~ from/to sth (to/from sth) to connect one object or place to another
• the pipe leading from the top of the water tank

• The wire led to a speaker.  

 

 

OF ROAD/PATH/DOOR

3. intransitive, transitive to go in a particular direction or to a particular place
+ adv./prep. A path led up the hill.
• Which door leads to the yard?

~ sb + adv./prep. The track led us through a wood.  

 

 

CAUSE

4. intransitive ~ to sth to have sth as a result
Syn: result in
• Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems.

• A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.

5. transitive to be the reason why sb does or thinks sth
~ sb (to sth) What led you to this conclusion?
He's too easily led (= easily persuaded to do or think sth).
~ sb to do sth This has led scientists to speculate on the existence of other galaxies.

• The situation is far worse than we had been led to believe.  

 

 

LIFE

6. transitive ~ sth to have a particular type of life

• to lead a quiet life/a life of luxury/a miserable existence  

 

 

BE BEST/FIRST

7. transitive, intransitive to be the best at sth; to be in first place
~ (sb/sth) (in sth) The department led the world in cancer research.
We lead the way in space technology.

~ (sb/sth) by sth The champion is leading (her nearest rival) by 18 seconds.  

 

 

BE IN CONTROL

8. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) to be in control of sth; to be the leader of sth
to lead an expedition
• to lead a discussion

• Who will lead the party in the next election?  

 

 

IN CARD GAMES

9. intransitive, transitive to play first; to play sth as your first card
It's your turn to lead.
~ sth to lead the ten of clubs
Syn:  mislead, see the blind leading the blind at  blind  adj., you can lead/take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink at  horse  n., lead/live the life of Riley at  life, one thing leads to another at  thing 
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
Old English lǣdan Germanic Dutch leiden German leiten load lode
 
Thesaurus:
lead verb
1. T, I
The survivors were led to safety.
takeescortshowwalkguideusher|formal accompany
Opp: follow
lead/take/escort/show/walk/guide/usher/accompany sb to/out of/into sth
lead/take/escort/walk/guide/usher/accompany sb there/somewhere
lead/take/escort/show/walk/guide sb round/around
lead/show the way
2. I, T (always used with an adverb or preposition)
A path leads to the beach.
gocontinuereachstretchextend
lead/go/continue/reach/stretch/extend beyond/across sth
lead/go/continue/reach/stretch/extend from sth to sth
3. T
What led you to this conclusion?
promptmakemotivate|formal inducepredispose
lead/predispose sb to sth
lead/prompt/motivate/induce/predispose sb to do sth
make sb do sth
4. I, T
The champion is leading by 18 seconds.
They lead the world in cancer research.
be ahead of sbleave sb/sth behindget aheadovertakepass|written, especially business outpace
Opp: trail
lead/be ahead of sb/leave sb behind/get ahead/overtake in sth
lead/be ahead of sb/overtake a rival
5. T, I
He led an expedition to the North Pole.
headchaircaptain|formal preside|especially journalism spearhead
lead/head/captain a team
lead/head a (political) party/the government
lead/head/chair/preside over a/an commission/committee/inquiry
Head or lead? A person who heads sth has the official position of being the head of it. A person who leads sth may also have an official position, but the verb lead emphasizes their leadership qualities. An individual usually heads sth, but a group of people can lead sth.  
Language Bank:
cause
X causes Y
Childhood obesity can cause / lead to long-term health problems.
Changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years have caused / led to / resulted in a sharp increase in childhood obesity.
Several factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity.
Research suggests that fast food and soft drinks directly contribute to childhood obesity.
Genetics, lifestyle and diet are all important factors in cases of childhood obesity.
Even small changes in lifestyle and diet can bring about significant weight loss.
Language Banks at because of, consequently, therefore  
Synonyms:
take
lead escort drive show walk guide usher direct
These words all mean to go with sb from one place to another.
taketo go with sb from one place to another, for example in order to show them sth or to show them the way to a place: It's too far to walk— I'll take you by car.
leadto go with or go in front of sb in order to show them the way or to make them go in the right direction: Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
escortto go with sb in order to protect or guard them or to show them the way: The president arrived, escorted by twelve bodyguards.
driveto take sb somewhere in a car, taxi, etc: My mother drove us to the airport.
showto take sb to a particular place, in the right direction, or along the correct route: The attendant showed us to our seats.
walkto go somewhere with sb on foot, especially in order to make sure that they get there safely; to take an animal, especially a dog, for a walk or make an animal walk somewhere: He always walked her home. Have you walked the dog yet today?
guideto show sb the way to a place, often by going with them; to show sb a place that you know well: She guided us through the busy streets. We were guided around the museums.
usher(rather formal) to politely take or show sb where they should go, especially within a building: She ushered her guests to their seats.
direct(rather formal) to tell or show sb how to get somewhere or where to go: A young woman directed them to the station.
to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide/usher/direct sb to/out of/into sth
to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide sb around/round
to take/lead/escort/drive/walk sb home
to take/lead/escort/guide sb to safety
to lead/show the way  
Example Bank:
‘Lead on!’ said Arnold.
An old track led back through the wood.
Business success does not automatically lead to financial success.
Discussion of a client's tax affairs will lead naturally into consideration of investment options.
Five people helping to lead a convoy of aid are feared dead.
I tried to lead as normal a life as possible.
Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class.
Let me lead the way.
Often there are discoveries which lead nowhere.
She led them along a dark corridor to a small room.
Some children are easily led.
Such actions would most likely lead to the decline of rural communities.
Sugar and fat can easily lead to obesity.
Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.
The carbon tax might well lead to a doubling of prices for fossil fuels.
The gardens lead directly onto a beach.
The glass doors lead out onto a rooftop garden.
The use of soft drugs does not necessarily lead to a progression to hard drugs.
These measures in turn led to an increased opportunity for independent music production.
Worrying about your weight is more likely to lead to comforting yourself with a piece of chocolate.
Worrying about your weight is more likely to lead to low self-esteem.
You lead the way and we'll follow.
a path leading from the village to the old church
the events that led eventually to war
Detective Inspector Adrian Eakins, who is leading the hunt for the killer, has called a press conference.
Disconnect the pipe leading from the top of the water tank.
Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
He led the first expedition to the North Pole.
He led the race for eight laps until his engine blew.
If you lead, I'll follow.
She is leading her nearest rival by 18 seconds.
The campaign for the ban had been led by Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The firm's solid construction standards still lead the field.
The project is run by a team of experts led by Andrew Hall.
The situation is far worse than we had been led to believe.
This has led scientists to speculate on the existence life on other planets.
Top management should be seen to lead by example.
What we found leads us to suspect that more people may be involved.
Who will lead the party into the next election?
Idioms: lead from the front  lead nowhere  lead somebody a dance  lead somebody by the nose  lead somebody up the garden path

Derived: lead off  lead off something  lead somebody on  lead something off  lead up to something  lead with something 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

lead / liːd / verb [ I or T ] ( led , led / led / ) (CONTROL)

B2 to control a group of people, a country, or a situation:

I think we've chosen the right person to lead the expedition.

I've asked Gemma to lead the discussion.

Who will be leading the inquiry into the accident?

 

lead / liːd / verb [ I or T ] ( led , led / led / ) (BE WINNING)

B2 (especially in sport or other competitions) to be in front, to be first, or to be winning:

After 30 minutes the challengers were leading by two goals.

With two laps to go Ngomo led by less than two seconds.

The Lions are leading the Hawks 28–9.

 

lead / liːd / verb [ T ] ( led , led / led / ) (INFLUENCE)

C2 to cause someone to do something, especially something bad:

[ + to infinitive ] The brochure led me to believe that the price included home delivery.

It's worrying that such a prominent politician is so easily led.

He was a weak man, led astray by ambition.

 

lead / liːd / verb ( led , led / led / ) (SHOW WAY)

B1 [ I ] to show the way to a group of people, animals, vehicles, etc. by going in front of them:

I don't know the way, so you'd better lead.

If you lead in the jeep, we'll follow behind on the horses.

[ T ] To lead a group of moving people or vehicles is to walk or drive in front of them:

The local youth band will lead the parade this weekend.

A large black hearse led the funeral procession.

B1 [ T usually + adv/prep ] to take someone somewhere, by going with them:

She led them down the hall.

The waiter led us to our table.

Our guide led us through the mountains.

B1 [ T usually + adv/prep ] to take hold of a person or an animal, or of something fastened to them, and take them somewhere:

She took the child by the hand and led him upstairs to bed.

He led the horse out of the stable.

lead the way to show the way by going in front:

You've been there before - why don't you lead the way?

to make more progress than other people in the development of something:

The company has been leading the way in network applications for several years.

 

lead / liːd / verb [ I or T , usually + adv/prep ] ( led , led / led / ) (DIRECTION)

B2 (especially of roads, paths, doors, signs, information, etc.) to go in a particular direction or have a particular result, or to allow or cause this:

There's a track that leads directly to the reservoir.

The French windows lead out onto a wide, shady terrace.

A narrow trail of blood led directly into the cave.

This information led the police to a house near the harbour.

 

lead / liːd / verb ( led , led / led / ) (LIVE)

lead a busy, normal, quiet, etc. life B2 to live a particular type of life:

He was able to lead a normal life, despite the illness.

We certainly don't lead a life of luxury but we're not poor either.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

lead

I BEING AHEAD OR TAKING SOMEONE SOMEWHERE
 

 leads, leading, led
 (Pronounced [li͟ːd] in lead 1, and [le̱d] in lead 2.)
 1) VERB If you lead a group of moving people, you walk or ride in front of them.
  [V n] John Major and the Duke of Edinburgh led the mourners...
  [V n prep/adv] He walks with a stick but still leads his soldiers into battle...
  Tom was leading, a rifle slung over his back.
 2) VERB If you lead someone to a particular place or thing, you take them there.
  [V n prep/adv] He took Dickon by the hand to lead him into the house...
  [V n prep/adv] She confessed to the killing and led police to his remains...
  [V n] Leading the horse, Evandar walked to the door.
 3) VERB If a road, gate, or door leads somewhere, you can get there by following the road or going through the gate or door.
  [V prep/adv] ...the doors that led to the yard.
  [V prep/adv] ...a short roadway leading to the car park...
  [V prep/adv] Hundreds of people are said to have blocked a main highway leading north.
 4) VERB If you are leading at a particular point in a race or competition, you are winning at that point.
  He's leading in the presidential race...
  [V by amount] So far Fischer leads by five wins to two...
  [V n] Aston Villa last led the League in March 1990.
 5) N-SING: the N, oft in/into the N If you have the lead or are in the lead in a race or competition, you are winning.
  England took the lead after 31 minutes with a goal by Peter Nail...
  Labour are still in the lead in the opinion polls.
 6) N-SING: with supp, oft N over n Someone's lead over a competitor at a particular point in a race or competition is the distance, amount of time, or number of points by which they are ahead of them.
  ...a commanding lead for the opposition is clearly emerging throughout the country.
  His goal gave Forest a two-goal lead against Southampton...
  Sainz now has a lead of 28 points.
 7) VERB If one company or country leads others in a particular activity such as scientific research or business, it is more successful or advanced than they are in that activity.
  [V n] When it comes to pop music we not only lead Europe, we lead the world.
  [V n in n] ...foodstores such as Marks & Spencer, which led the market in microwavable meals.
 8) VERB If you lead a group of people, an organization, or an activity, you are in control or in charge of the people or the activity.
  [V n] He led the country between 1949 and 1984...
  [V n] Mr Mendes was leading a campaign to save Brazil's rainforest from exploitation.
 9) N-COUNT: usu supp N If you give a lead, you do something new or develop new ideas or methods that other people consider to be a good example or model to follow.
  ...the need for the president to give a moral lead...
  The American and Japanese navies took the lead in the development of naval aviation...
  Over the next 150 years, many others followed his lead.
 10) VERB You can use lead when you are saying what kind of life someone has. For example, if you lead a busy life, your life is busy.
  [V n] She led a normal, happy life with her sister and brother...
  [V n] Most of the women in here are not people who have led a life of crime.
 11) VERB If something leads to a situation or event, usually an unpleasant one, it begins a process which causes that situation or event to happen.
  [V to n] Ethnic tensions among the republics could lead to civil war...
  [V to n] He warned yesterday that a pay rise for teachers would lead to job cuts.
 12) VERB If something leads you to do something, it influences or affects you in such a way that you do it.
  [V n to-inf] His abhorrence of racism led him to write The Algiers Motel Incident...
  [V n to-inf] What was it ultimately that led you to leave Sarajevo for Zagreb?
 13) VERB If you say that someone or something led you to think something, you mean that they caused you to think it, although it was not true or did not happen.
  [V n to-inf] Mother had led me to believe the new baby was a kind of present for me...
  [V n to-inf] It was not as straightforward as we were led to believe.
 14) VERB If you lead a conversation or discussion, you control the way that it develops so that you can introduce a particular subject.
  [V n adv/prep] After a while I led the conversation around to her job...
  [V n] He planned to lead the conversation and keep Matt from changing the subject.
 15) VERB You can say that one point or topic in a discussion or piece of writing leads you to another in order to introduce a new point or topic that is linked with the previous one.
  [V n to n] Well, I think that leads me to the real point.
  Syn:
  bring
 16) N-COUNT A lead is a piece of information or an idea which may help people to discover the facts in a situation where many facts are not known, for example in the investigation of a crime or in a scientific experiment.
  The inquiry team is also following up possible leads after receiving 400 calls from the public.
 17) N-COUNT The lead in a play, film, or show is the most important part in it. The person who plays this part can also be called the lead.
  Nina Ananiashvili and Alexei Fadeyechev from the Bolshoi Ballet dance the leads...
  The leads are Jack Hawkins and Glynis Johns.
 18) N-COUNT A dog's lead is a long, thin chain or piece of leather which you attach to the dog's collar so that you can control the dog. [mainly BRIT]
  An older man came out with a little dog on a lead.
  Syn:
  leash(in AM, use leash)
 19) N-COUNT A lead in a piece of equipment is a piece of wire covered in plastic which supplies electricity to the equipment or carries it from one part of the equipment to another.
 20) N-SING: oft N n The lead story or lead in a newspaper or on the television or radio news is the most important story.
  The Turkish situation makes the lead in tomorrow's Guardian...
  Cossiga's reaction is the lead story in the Italian press.
 21) → See also leading, -led
 to lead someone astraysee astray
 one thing led to anothersee thing
 to lead the waysee way
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - lead off
  - lead on
  - lead on to
  - lead up toII SUBSTANCES
 leads
 (Pronounced [li͟ːd] in lead 1, and [le̱d] in lead 2.)
 1) N-UNCOUNT Lead is a soft, grey, heavy metal.
  ...drinking water supplied by old-fashioned lead pipes.
 2) N-UNCOUNT Lead is sometimes used to refer to bullets. [INFORMAL]
  Eventually Bogart pumps him full of lead.
  Syn:
  bullets
 3) N-COUNT The lead in a pencil is the centre part of it which makes a mark on paper.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

1lead /ˈliːd/ verb leads; led /ˈlɛd/; lead·ing
1 a : to guide someone to a place especially by going in front

[no obj]

• You lead and we'll follow right behind you.

[+ obj]

• He led [=took] me into a room in the back of the house.
• You lead us and we'll follow right behind you.
- often + to
• The teacher led the child by the hand to his seat. = The teacher took the child's hand and led him to his seat.
• Our hostess led us to the dinner table.
- often used as (be) led
• The passengers were led onto/aboard the ship by the steward.
• The prisoner was led off to jail [=was taken to jail] in handcuffs.
- often used figuratively
• I gradually led the interview around/back to the subject of his failed marriage.
• He says that he will follow the evidence wherever it leads (him).
• This leads me to my next point, which is that the building needs a new roof.
• The painting's composition leads the/your eye to the figures in the foreground. [=causes you to look at the figures in the foreground]
b [+ obj] : to go or be at the front part of (something)
• The veterans will lead a parade down Main Street.
lead a march
2 [no obj] : to lie or go in a specified direction
• The path leads uphill.
• This road doesn't lead to the village as we thought it did.
• a set of stairs that leads down to the basement
• There was a path leading (off) from the meadow into the woods.
- often used figuratively
• She realized that their relationship would never lead to marriage.
• The investigation into the murder was leading nowhere. [=the investigation was not solving the crime]
3 : to guide the actions of a person or group : to be in charge of a person, group, activity, etc.

[no obj]

• We need to elect someone who can lead.
• bosses who lead by example [=who show employees how they should act by acting that way themselves]

[+ obj]

• She leads her employees by setting a good example for them.
• She led a successful boycott of the store.
lead an expedition
• A visiting professor will be leading the seminar.
lead [=direct] an orchestra
• She led the children in a song. [=she sang a song and the children sang with her]
4 [+ obj] : to cause (a person, group, etc.) to do something or to follow some course of action
• Her interest in art led her into the field of art history.
- usually followed by to or to + verb
• His volunteer work in the hospital led him to a career in nursing. = His volunteer work in the hospital led [=inspired] him to become a nurse.
• Her experience with cancer led her to consider writing a book on the subject.
• The evidence leads me to believe [=makes me believe] that this disease is curable.
• We've been led to believe that the labels on food items disclose all ingredients, but it's becoming clear that this is not the case.
• I had been led to expect that someone would meet me at the airport, but no one came.
• He led me to understand [=he told me or caused me to think] that the deadline was January 7.
5 : to be first, best, or ahead in a race or competition

[no obj]

• the team that is currently leading in the pennant race
• At the end of the fourth inning, the Red Sox led by two runs.

[+ obj]

lead a race
• They led their opponents by 20 points at the end of the third quarter.
• the team that is leading the league [=the team that is in first place]
• a batter who leads the league in home runs [=who has hit more home runs than any other batter]
• a runner who is leading the pack/field [=a runner who is ahead of the group of other runners]
- often used figuratively
• Their company leads the world [=is the most successful company in the world] in developing new technology to assist people with disabilities.
6 [+ obj] : to go through (life) in a certain way : to have (a specified kind of life)
• They chose to lead [=live] a quiet life.
• He leads a peaceful existence.
• It turned out that he had been leading a double life. [=deceiving people about his life, not telling the whole truth about his life]
• He has always led a charmed life. [=he has always been lucky]
• She needs to lead her own life. [=she needs to make her own decisions about her life]
7 : to begin play in a card game with (a certain card or kind of card)

[+ obj]

lead trumps
led a spade

[no obj]

lead with a spade
8 [no obj] : to guide a dance partner through the steps of a dance
• I don't know this dance, so I'd prefer it if you lead.
9 [+ obj] law : to ask (a witness) a question in a way that suggests what the answer should be : to ask (a witness) a leading question
• The judge ruled that the lawyer was leading the witness.
lead off [phrasal verb] lead off or lead (something) off or lead off (something)
1 : to start something (such as an activity or performance) in a specified way
• She led off [=started, kicked off] the presentation with a brief overview of the project.
• She led off [=began] with a brief overview of the project.
2 baseball : to be the first batter in an inning
• He led off with a walk. [=he was the first batter in his team's half of the inning and he was walked]
• He led off the inning with a home run.
- see also leadoff
lead on [phrasal verb] lead (someone) on : to cause (someone) to wrongly continue believing or doing something
• She was devastated when she found out that he didn't really love her, and had only been leading her on. [=he had been leading her to believe that he loved her]
lead someone a merry chase US or Brit lead someone a (merry) dance old-fashioned : to cause a series of troubles or worries for (someone)
• He led me a merry chase before I finally got him to agree to a meeting.
lead someone (around) by the nose
- see 1nose
lead someone down/up the garden path informal : to deceive someone : to cause someone to go, think, or proceed wrongly
• He believes the average consumer is being led down the garden path by the promises in advertisements.
lead the way : to be the first person to go somewhere
• You lead the way, and we'll follow.
- often used figuratively
• Their company led the way in developing this technology. [=was the first to have success developing the technology]
lead to [phrasal verb] lead to (something) : to result in (something)
• a course of study leading to a degree in agriculture
• Her investigations ultimately led to the discovery of the missing documents.
• His volunteer work in the hospital led to a career in nursing. = His volunteer work in the hospital led to him becoming a nurse.
- see also 1lead 1a, 4 (above)
lead up to [phrasal verb] lead up to (something)
1 : to occur in the time that comes before (something)
• Many voters were still undecided in the days leading up to [=approaching] the election.
2 : to come before and help to cause (something)
• There was a series of errors leading up to the accident.
3 : to come before and help to introduce (something)
• a chapter leading up to the main topic of the book
• I had no idea what he was leading up to when he started talking about his father.
lead with [phrasal verb] lead with (something)
1 : to begin something (such as a story or speech) with (something specified)
• The newspaper story led [=opened, began] with a long report on the funeral.
2 : to begin a series of punches in boxing with (a punch thrown by a specified hand)
• The champion led with a left to the body, followed up quickly with a right to the jaw.
the blind leading the blind
- see 1blind

life

life [noun]

the period of time when someone is alive

US /laɪf/ 
UK /laɪf/ 

زندگى‌، حيات‌

مثال: 

There was no sign of life in him.

اثرى از حيات‌ در او نبود.‏

 

Oxford Essential Dictionary

life

 noun (plural lives )

1 (no plural) People, animals and plants have life while they are alive, but things like stone, metal and water do not:
Do you believe there is life after death?
Is there life on other planets?

2 (plural lives) being alive:
Many people lost their lives (= died) in the fire.
The doctor saved her life (= stopped her dying).

3 (plural lives) the time that somebody is alive:
He has lived here all his life.

4 (plural lives) the way that you live or the experiences that you have when you are alive:
They were very happy throughout their married life.
They lead a busy life.

5 (no plural) energy; being busy and interested:
Young children are full of life.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

life

life S1 W1 /laɪf/ BrE AmE noun (plural lives /laɪvz/)
[Word Family: noun: life, lifelessness, lifer; adjective: lifeless, lifelike, lifelong; adverb: lifelessly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: lif]
1. TIME SOMEBODY IS ALIVE [uncountable and countable] the period of time when someone is alive:
Learning goes on throughout life.
You have your whole life ahead of you.
in sb’s life
For the first time in my life I was happy.
I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life!
I’ve known John all my life (=since I was born).
His main aim in life was to have fun.
It was one of the best days of my life.
The accident scarred him for life (=for the rest of his life).
She knew she’d feel guilty for the rest of her life.
Raj spent his life caring for others.
Bonington spent his entire adult life in France.
We don’t know much about the poet’s early life (=when he was young).
Poor diet can lead to a whole range of diseases in later life (=when you are older).
She married late in life (=when she was fairly old).
He’s a life member (=continuing until he dies) of the club.
2. STATE OF BEING ALIVE [uncountable and countable] the state of being alive:
The right to life is the most basic of human rights.
Danny was a cheerful little boy who loved life.
Two firefighters risked their lives to save the children.
3. WAY SOMEBODY LIVES [countable usually singular] the way you live your life, and what you do and experience during it
lead/live/have a ... life
The operation should enable Bobby to lead a normal life.
She just wanted to live a quiet life.
Having a baby changes your life completely.
The family moved to Australia to start a new life.
Ken’s whole life revolved around surfing (=that was the main interest and purpose of his life).
You shouldn’t let your boyfriend rule your life (=control and affect everything you do).
My grandmother had a hard life (=a life full of problems).
She’s led a very sheltered life (=a life in which you have been protected from unpleasant things).
a life of crime/poverty/misery etc
He had been drawn into a life of crime.
4. PARTICULAR SITUATION/JOB [uncountable and countable]
a) the experiences, activities, and ways of living that are typical of being in a particular job, situation, society etc:
Why do so few women enter political life?
the British way of life
city/country/village etc life
Noise has become one of the main pollutants of modern city life.
army/student/college etc life
He missed the routine of army life.
Are you enjoying married life?
b) the time in your life when you are doing a particular job, are in a particular situation etc
sb’s life as something
Now a celebrity chef, he rarely talks about his life as an army cook.
Sara admits to having affairs throughout her married life.
Most of his working life was spent in the shipyards.
5. social/personal/sex etc life the activities in your life relating to your friends, your family, sex etc:
I don’t need advice about my love life.
traditional views of family life
Children need a caring and happy home life.
6. HUMAN EXISTENCE [uncountable] human existence, considered as a variety of experiences and activities:
My Aunt Julia had very little experience of life.
Life has a way of changing the best of plans.
For some people, religion gives life a meaning.
daily/everyday life
the frustrations and disappointments of everyday life
I try to see the funny side of life.
7. TIME WHEN SOMETHING EXISTS/WORKS [countable usually singular]
a) the period of time during which something happens or exists
life of
The issues will not be resolved during the life of the present parliament.
start/begin/come to life as something
The building began life as a monastery.
b) the period of time during which something is still good enough to use
life of
What’s the average life of a passenger aircraft?
Careful use can extend the life of your washing machine. ⇨ ↑shelf life
8. LIVING THINGS [uncountable]
a) the quality of being alive that people, animals, plants etc have and that objects and dead things do not have:
Ben felt her neck for a pulse or any other sign of life.
In the springtime, everything comes to life again.
b) living things, such as people, animals, or plants:
Is there life on other planets?
human/animal/plant/bird etc life
The island is rich in bird life. ⇨ ↑wildlife
9. be sb’s (whole) life to be the most important thing or person to someone:
Music is Laura’s whole life.
10. life and death (also life or death) used for emphasizing that a situation, decision etc is extremely urgent and important, especially because someone is at risk of dying:
Don’t call me unless it’s a matter of life and death.
a life or death decision
A doctor’s job involves life and death situations.
11. GAME [countable] a chance in a game, especially a computer game, in which you can be defeated or do something wrong and can still continue playing:
He’s up to level five and still has three lives left.
12. ACTIVITY [uncountable] activity or movement:
The house was quiet and there was no sign of life.
She was always so cheerful and full of life.
13. INTEREST/EXCITEMENT [uncountable] a quality of being interesting or exciting:
Try to put some life into your writing.
The game really came to life after a magnificent goal from Rooney.
A gifted teacher can really bring literature to life for his or her students.
14. come to life/roar into life/splutter into life etc to suddenly start working:
Finally the car spluttered into life.
15. make life difficult/easier etc to make it difficult, easier etc to do something:
Surely computers are supposed to make life easier, not more complicated!
make life difficult/easier etc for
Why make life difficult for yourself?
16. the life and soul of the party British English, the life of the party American English someone who enjoys social occasions and is fun and exciting to be with
17. life and limb formal your life and physical health – used especially when this is threatened in some way:
She risks life and limb every day in her job as an undercover investigator.
18. get a life! spoken used to tell someone that you think they are boring and should find more exciting things to do:
You guys should just stop moaning and get a life!
19. that’s life (also such is life) spoken used to say that something is disappointing but you have to accept it:
Oh well, that’s life!
20. life’s a bitch spoken not polite used to say that bad things happen in life
21. this is the life spoken used when you are relaxing and doing something you enjoy:
Ah, this is the life! Lying on the beach, sipping cool drinks.
22. the shock/surprise/game etc of sb’s life the biggest shock or surprise, the best game etc that someone has ever had:
I had the surprise of my life when I saw John standing there. ⇨ have the time of your life at ↑time1(41)
23. how’s life? spoken used to ask someone if they are well, what they have been doing etc:
Hi Bob! How’s life?
How’s life been with you?
24. life goes on spoken used to say that you must continue to live a normal life even when something sad or disappointing has happened:
We both miss him, but life goes on.
25. a life of its own
a) if something has a life of its own, it seems to move or work by itself:
The ball seemed to have acquired a life of its own.
b) if something has a life of its own, it exists and develops without depending on other things:
Slowly but surely, the project is taking on a life of its own.
26. cannot for the life of me spoken used to say that you cannot remember or understand something even when you try hard:
I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name.
27. life’s too short spoken used to say that you should not waste time doing something or worrying about something:
Forget about it. Life’s too short.
life’s too short for
Life’s too short for moping about.
life’s too short to do something
Life’s too short to bear grudges.
28. not on your life spoken used as a reply to a question or suggestion to say that you definitely will not do something:
‘Are you going to go and work for him then?’ ‘Not on your life!’
29. the woman/man/girl etc in your life the woman or man you are married to or are having a relationship with – used especially in advertisements:
This is the ideal gift for the man in your life.
30. PRISON [uncountable] (also life imprisonment) the punishment of being put in prison for the rest of your life
be sentenced to/get/be given life
He was sentenced to life for the murder.
I think she should get life. ⇨ ↑life sentence, ↑lifer
31. ART [uncountable] when you paint, draw etc something you are looking at, especially a person or animal:
She’s taking classes in life drawing. ⇨ ↑still life
32. frighten/scare the life out of somebody informal to make someone feel very frightened:
Don’t do that! You scared the life out of me!
33. there’s life in the old dog yet spoken used to say that although someone or something is old, they are still able to do something – used humorously
34. live/lead/have the life of Riley informal to have a very easy and comfortable life and not have to work hard:
He spends all day lounging by the pool and living the life of Riley.
35. BOOK/FILM [uncountable] the story of someone’s life SYN biography:
Boswell’s ‘Life of Johnson’
36. the next life (also the life to come), life after death the time after death, in which some people believe life continues in another form:
She expects to meet her dead husband in the next life.
as large as life at large1(7), ⇨ change of life, ⇨ for dear life at dear3(6), ⇨ double life, ⇨ high life at high1(22), ⇨ a new lease of life at lease1(2), ⇨ quality of life at quality1(5), ⇨ real life at real1(3), ⇨ real-life, ⇨ true to life at true1(9), ⇨ walk of life
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
save sb’s life The money you give will save the life of a child.
risk your life He risked his life to help Jews during the Second World War.
lose your life (=die) Hundreds of people lost their lives on the first day of the fighting.
take a/sb’s life (=kill someone) All cultures consider it wrong to take a life for no reason.
take your own life (=kill yourself) He was depressed and decided to take his own life.
claim the life of somebody (=kill someone – used of a thing) The disease claimed the lives of up to a quarter of the population.
cost lives/cost somebody their life (=result in deaths/in someone’s death) That decision may have cost him his life.
give your life/lay down your life (=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief) These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free.
endanger the life of somebody They wanted to capture the gunman without endangering the lives of his hostages.
spare sb’s life (=not kill someone, when you could kill them) She begged him to spare the life of her son.
be fighting for your life (=be so ill or injured that you might die) One badly burned man was fighting for his life in hospital.
cling to life (=try to stay alive, even though you are very ill or injured) She clung to life, despite the pain.
■ phrases
owe your life to somebody (=be still alive because of someone’s actions) The victim said he owed his life to the stranger who helped him.
take your life in your hands (=put yourself in a dangerous situation) Just crossing this road is taking your life in your hands.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'the cost of life'. Say the cost of living.
 

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

life

 

 

life [life lives]   [laɪf]    [laɪf]  noun (pl. lives   [laɪvz]  ;   [laɪvz]  )

 

 

STATE OF LIVING
1. uncountable the ability to breathe, grow, reproduce, etc. which people, animals and plants have before they die and which objects do not have
life and death
The body was cold and showed no signs of life.
My father died last year— I wish I could bring him back to life.

• In spring the countryside bursts into life.

2. uncountable, countable the state of being alive as a human; an individual person's existence
The floods caused a massive loss of life (= many people were killed).
He risked his life to save his daughter from the fire.
Hundreds of lives were threatened when the building collapsed.
The operation saved her life.
My grandfather lost his life (= was killed) in the war.

• Several attempts have been made on the President's life (= several people have tried to kill him).  

 

 

LIVING THINGS

3. uncountable living things
plant/animal life
marine/pond life

• Is there intelligent life on other planets?  

 

 

PERIOD OF TIME

4. countable, uncountable the period between sb's birth and their death; a part of this period
He's lived here all his life.
I've lived in England for most of my life.
to have a long/short life
He became very weak towards the end of his life.
Brenda took up tennis late in life.
He will spend the rest of his life (= until he dies) in a wheelchair.
There's no such thing as a job for life any longer.
She is a life member of the club.
in early/adult life

see also  change of life

5. countable (used with an adjective) a period of sb's life when they are in a particular situation or job
She has been an accountant all her working life.
• He met a lot of interesting people during his life as a student.

• They were very happy throughout their married life.

6. countable the period of time when sth exists or functions
The International Stock Exchange started life as a London coffee shop.
They could see that the company had a limited life (= it was going to close).
• In Italy the average life of a government is eleven months.

see also  shelf life  

 

 

PUNISHMENT

7. uncountable the punishment of being sent to prison for life; life imprisonment
The judge gave him life.

• She is doing life for murder.  

 

 

EXPERIENCE/ACTIVITIES

8. uncountable the experience and activities that are typical of all people's existences
the worries of everyday life
He is young and has little experience of life.
Commuting is a part of daily life for many people.
Jill wants to travel and see life for herself.
We bought a dishwasher to make life easier.
In London life can be hard.
In real life (= when she met him) he wasn't how she had imagined him at all.
• Life can be difficult when you move to a new town.

• Life isn't like in the movies, you know.

9. uncountable, countable the activities and experiences that are typical of a particular way of living
country/city life
She enjoyed political life.
family/married life

• How do you find life in Japan?

10. countable a person's experiences during their life; the activities that form a particular part of a person's life
He has had a good life.
a hard/an easy life
My day-to-day life is not very exciting.
a life of luxury
Her daily life involved meeting lots of people.
She lived a quiet life in the countryside.
Many of these children have led very sheltered lives (= they have not had many different experiences).
They emigrated to start a new life in Canada.
He doesn't like to talk about his private life.
She has a full social life.
articles about the love lives of the stars

see also  sex life  

 

 

ENERGY/EXCITEMENT

11. uncountable the quality of being active and exciting
Syn:  vitality

• This is a great holiday resort that is full of life.  

 

 

IN ART

12. uncountable a living model or a real object or scene that people draw or paint
She had lessons in drawing from life.
a life class (= one in which art students draw a naked man or woman)

see also  still life  

 

 

STORY OF LIFE

13. countable a story of sb's life
Syn:  biography

• She wrote a life of Mozart.  

 

 

IN CHILDREN'S GAMES

14. countable one of a set number of chances before a player is out of a game
He's lost two lives, so he's only got one left.
more at you can bet your life/your bottom dollar (on sth/(that)…) at  bet  v., the breath of life at  breath, breathe (new) life into sth at  breathe, the change of life at  change  n., depart this life at  depart, a dog's life at  dog  n., end your days/life at  end  v., a fact of lifethe facts of life at  fact, in fear of your life at  fear  n., fight for (your) life at  fight  v., within an inch of your life at  inch  n., kiss of life at  kiss  n., large as lifelarger than life at  large, a new lease of life at  lease, light of sb's life at  light  n., a matter of life and death at  matter  n., make sb's life a misery at  misery, have nine lives at  nine, risk life and limb at  risk  v., not be able to do sth to save your life at  save  v., a slice of life at  slice  n., spring into/to life at  spring  v., the staff of life at  staff  n., that's the story of my life at  story, at my, your, his, etc. time of lifehave the time of your life at  time  n., true to life at  true  adj., variety is the spice of life at  variety, a walk of life at  walk  n., a/the/sb's way of life at  way  n.
Idioms: bring somebody to life  come to life  for dear life  for the life of you  for your life  full of life  get a life  lay down your life  lead the life of Riley  life after death  life and soul of the party  life is cheap  life of its own  life's too short  make life difficult  man in your life  not on your life  scare the life out of somebody  somebody's life  take somebody's life  take your life  take your life in your hands  that's life  where there's life  
Word Origin:
Old English līf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lijf, German Leib ‘body’, also to live1.  
Thesaurus:
life noun
1. U, C
The body was cold and showed no signs of life.
existencesurvival
Opp: death
sb/sth's very/continued/day-to-day life/existence/survival
threaten sb/sth's life/existence/survival
fight for your life/survival
2. C, U
I've lived here all my life.
lifetimecareerin sb's day
in/of sb's life/lifetime/career/day
during sb's life/lifetime/career
a life/lifetime/career of doing sth
3. C
How do you find life in America?
lifestyleway of lifelivingexistence
(sb's) day-to-day life/living/existence
a comfortable/busy life/lifestyle/existence
have/lead/enjoy a… life/lifestyle/existence
4. U
We need to inject some new life into this project.
energyvitalityfiredynamismsparkgustozest|BrE vigour|AmE vigor
new life/energy/vitality/zest/vigour
be full of life/energy/vitality/fire/dynamism/zest/vigour 
Collocations:
The living world
Animals
animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on sth)
fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
insects/bees/locusts swarm
bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
spiders spin/weave a web
snakes/lizards shed their skins
bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
attract/find/choose a mate
produce/release eggs/sperm
lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
mark/enter/defend (a) territory
stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
Plants and fungi
trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
a seed germinates/sprouts
leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
flower buds swell/open
a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes sth
pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
produce/bear fruit
develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
Bacteria and viruses
bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on sth
bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize sth/cause disease
bacteria break sth down/convert sth (into sth)
a virus enters/invades sth/the body
a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
contain/carry/harbour (especially US) harbor bacteria/a virus
kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria 
Example Bank:
He always believed in living life to the full.
He always had a great love of life.
He built his whole life around his children.
He devoted his life to the education of deaf children.
He ended his life a happy man.
He gave up his high-flying job and now enjoys a better quality of life.
He had been leading a double life, married to two women.
He hopes the development will breathe new life into the community.
He lost his life in an air crash.
He met the love of his life at college.
He never discussed the unhappiness of his past life.
He never let his work dominate his life.
He ruined his life through drinking.
He spent his whole life in Cornwall.
He was a miner all his working life.
He'll be haunted by the crash for the rest of his life.
Her paintings became more obscure towards the end of her life.
His fame was so sudden that he was unprepared for public life.
His foolishness almost cost him his life.
His time in London was his first glimpse of the seamier side of life.
I had the fright of my life when I saw the snake in my bed.
I owe my life to the the doctors at the hospital.
I think I may have been an animal in a previous life.
I wanted to see something of life before I settled down.
I've always had a fairly optimistic outlook on life.
I've known her all my life.
In later life he took up writing.
It's nice to see an old man still so full of life.
Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.
Learning meditation changed her life.
No lives were lost in the accident.
Only his wife had access to his inner life.
She begged the soldiers to spare her son's life.
She clung to life for several weeks.
She did not tolerate press intrusion into her private life.
She discovered jazz quite late in life.
She is still rebuilding her life after the accident.
She leads a busy social life.
She loved the Spanish way of life and immediately felt at home there.
She risked her life for the sake of the children.
She sensed she was entering a new phase in her life.
She thought marriage should be for life.
She took her own life.
She went through life always wanting what she couldn't get.
She's critically ill, on life support.
The city only comes to life at night.
The crash claimed 43 lives.
The driver showed no signs of life.
The hotel started life as a prison.
The pace of life is much gentler on the island.
The plane crashed with heavy loss of life.
There has only been one woman in her life.
There have been three attempts on the president's life.
These talks are a matter of life and death for the factory.
They both seem to want the same things out of life.
They need some new, younger staff to breathe some life into the company.
They went to Australia to start a new life.
They were enjoying the high life in the smartest hotels of New York.
They're living a life of luxury in the Bahamas.
Throughout her life she was dogged by loneliness.
Witnesses are living in fear for their life after giving evidence against the gang.
You're still in the prime of life.
a child bursting with life
a drug that will save lives
a life-support machine
a real-life drama
anti-abortionists campaigning for the right to life
for the first time in her life
Bad posture is one of the causes of back pain in later life.
He doesn't like to talk about his private life.
He has had a hard life.
He is young and has little experience of life.
He met a lot of interesting people during his life as a student.
He said the men had threatened his life.
He spent his entire adult life in France.
He will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
He's lived here all his life.
How do you find life in America?
I've lived in England for most of my life.
In Italy at that time the average life of a government was eleven months.
In real life he wasn't how she had imagined him at all.
Life isn't like in the movies, you know.
Many of these children have led very sheltered lives.
My father died last year— I wish I could bring him back to life.
My grandfather lost his life in the Second World War.
My mother took up tennis late in life.
She has a full social life.
She has been an accountant all her working life.
She led a life of luxury.
The International Stock Exchange started life as a London coffee shop.
The body was cold and showed no signs of life.
The floods caused a massive loss of life.
The operation saved her life.
The product has a guaranteed shelf life of 60 days.
The worries of everyday life can become unbearable for people with this condition.
There's no such thing as a job for life any longer.
They emigrated to start a new life in America.
They were very happy throughout their married life.
We bought a dishwasher to make life easier.
We need to inject some new life into this project.
Yet more species of plant and animal life die out as their very specialized habitat is disturbed.
• You mustn't let anyone know— it's a matter of life and death.

• pond life

 

 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

life / laɪf / noun ( plural lives )

A1 [ C or U ] the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive:

Life's too short to worry about money!

I'm not sure I want to spend the rest of my life with him.

Unfortunately, accidents are part of life.

He went mad towards the end of his life.

Cats are supposed to have nine lives.

He doesn't know what he really wants in/out of life.

The accident changed my whole outlook on life.

He lost his life (= died suddenly because of a violent event or accident) in the Great War.

A simple mixture of glucose and water can save lives in many parts of the world.

He ran off with her life savings (= all the money she had saved) .

→  See also afterlife , pro-life

B1 [ C or U ] a way of living or a particular part of someone's life:

her family/private/sex life

my working life

We interviewed senior politicians, famous writers, and others in public life.

Drugs and violence are deeply rooted in American life.

I left home at 16 to see life (= have different experiences with a lot of people in lots of places) .

Teaching has been her life (= the most important and enjoyable thing in her life) .

C2 [ C usually singular ] the period for which a machine or organization lasts:

The newer batteries have a much longer life.

Careful use will prolong the life of your machine.

The legislation won't be passed during the life of the present parliament.

[ U ] the quality that makes people, animals, and plants different from objects, substances, and things that are dead:

The doctor could find no sign of life in the old man's body.

figurative I looked through the window but I couldn't see any signs of life (= people moving) .

B2 [ U ] energy or enthusiasm:

She's so full of life.

B1 [ U ] everything that is alive:

human/marine/plant life

[ U ] specialized In art, if you work from life, you paint, draw, etc. real people or objects, usually while they are in front of you rather than from memory:

life drawing classes

[ C ] informal especially in children's games, one of the limited number of times that you can lose, but still continue playing:

Every time the little man gets hit, you lose a life.

bring sth to life ( also come to life ) to make something more real or exciting, or to become more real or exciting:

It's always been an interesting period in history and this film really brought it to life.

for life C1 for the whole of a person's life:

I believe marriage is for life.

give your life ( also lay down your life ) to be willing to die in order to defend or support someone or something:

They were ready to give their lives for their country.

life after death

If you believe in life after death, you believe that people continue to exist in some form after they die.

start a new life ( also make a new life for yourself ) to completely change how or where you live:

She decided to start a new life in Australia.

Word partners for life

have / lead / live a (charmed/normal, etc.) life • spend your life (doing sth) • affect / change / ruin sb's life • lose / risk your life • save sb's life • rebuild your life • an aspect / part of sb's life • all sb's life

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

life

[la͟ɪvz]
 
 lives

 1) N-UNCOUNT Life is the quality which people, animals, and plants have when they are not dead, and which objects and substances do not have.
  ...a baby's first minutes of life...
  Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life.
  ...the earth's supply of life-giving oxygen.
 2) N-UNCOUNT: with supp You can use life to refer to things or groups of things which are alive.
  Is there life on Mars?...
  The book includes some useful facts about animal and plant life.
 3) N-COUNT: usu poss N If you refer to someone's life, you mean their state of being alive, especially when there is a risk or danger of them dying.
  Your life is in danger...
  A nurse began to try to save his life...
  The intense fighting is reported to have claimed many lives.
 4) N-COUNT: poss N Someone's life is the period of time during which they are alive.
  He spent the last fourteen years of his life in retirement...
  For the first time in his life he regretted that he had no faith.
 5) N-COUNT: with supp, usu poss N You can use life to refer to a period of someone's life when they are in a particular situation or job.
  Interior designers spend their working lives keeping up to date with the latest trends...
  That was the beginning of my life in the television business.
 6) N-COUNT: supp N You can use life to refer to particular activities which people regularly do during their lives.
  My personal life has had to take second place to my career...
  Most diabetics have a normal sex life.
 7) N-UNCOUNT You can use life to refer to the events and experiences that happen to people while they are alive.
  Life won't be dull!...
  It's the people with insecurities who make life difficult.
  ...the sort of life we can only fantasise about living.
 8) N-UNCOUNT If you know a lot about life, you have gained many varied experiences, for example by travelling a lot and meeting different kinds of people.
  I was 19 and too young to know much about life...
  I needed some time off from education to experience life.
 9) N-UNCOUNT: usu supp N You can use life to refer to the things that people do and experience that are characteristic of a particular place, group, or activity.
  How did you adjust to college life?...
  ...he abhors the wheeling-and-dealing associated with conventional political life.
  ...the culture and life of north Africa.
 10) N-UNCOUNT (approval) A person, place, book, or film that is full of life gives an impression of excitement, energy, or cheerfulness.
  The town itself was full of life and character...
  The rejection of the Jewish theme meant the rejection of everything that gave the script passion and life...
  He's sucked the life out of her.
 11) N-COUNT: oft N of n A life of a person is a book or film which tells the story of their life.
  A life of John Paul Jones had long interested him.
  Syn:
  biography
 12) N-UNCOUNT If someone is sentenced to life, they are sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of their life or for a very long time. [INFORMAL]
  He could get life in prison, if convicted.
  Syn:
  life imprisonment
 13) N-COUNT: with poss The life of something such as a machine, organization, or project is the period of time that it lasts for.
  The repairs did not increase the value or the life of the equipment.
 14) N-UNCOUNT In art, life refers to the producing of drawings, paintings, or sculptures that represent actual people, objects, or places, rather than images from the artist's imagination.
  ...learning to draw from life...
  She had once posed for Life classes when she was an art student.
 15) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that something or someone is your life, you are emphasizing that they are extremely important to you.
  The Church is my life.
 16) PHRASE: V inflects If you bring something to life or if it comes to life, it becomes interesting or exciting.
  The cold, hard cruelty of two young men is vividly brought to life in this true story...
  Poems which had seemed dull and boring suddenly came to life.
 17) PHRASE: V inflects If something or someone comes to life, they become active.
  The volcano came to life a week ago.
 18) PHRASE If you talk about life after death, you are discussing the possibility that people may continue to exist in some form after they die.
  I believe in life after death.
 19) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone is fighting for their life, you mean that they are in a very serious condition and may die as a result of an accident or illness. [JOURNALISM]
  He was in a critical condition, fighting for his life in hospital.
 20) PHRASE: PHR after v, n PHR For life means for the rest of a person's life.
  He was jailed for life in 1966 for the murder of three policemen...
  She may have been scarred for life...
  There can be no jobs for life.
 21) PHRASE: with brd-neg, usu PHR before v, PHR with cl (emphasis) If you say that you cannot for the life of you understand or remember something, you are emphasizing that you cannot understand or remember it, even if you try hard. [INFORMAL]
  I can't for the life of me understand why you didn't think of it.
 22) PHRASE: PHR after v (emphasis) If you say that someone does something for dear life or for their life, you mean that they do it using all their strength and effort because they are in a dangerous or urgent situation. [INFORMAL]
  I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life.
 23) PHRASE: V inflects (approval) If you say that someone lives life to the full, you mean that they try to gain a lot from life by being always busy and trying new activities.
 24) PHRASE (disapproval) If you tell someone to get a life, you are expressing frustration with them because their life seems boring or they seem to care too much about unimportant things. [INFORMAL]
 25) CONVENTION (feelings) You can say `Life goes on' after mentioning something very sad to indicate that, although people are very upset or affected by it, they have to carry on living normally.
  I can't spend the rest of my life wishing it hadn't happened. Life goes on.
 26) PHRASE: V and N inflect If you say that you have a life, you mean that you have interests and activities, particularly outside your work, which make your life enjoyable and worthwhile.
 27) PHRASE: usu n PHR If you talk about the man or woman in someone's life, you mean the person they are having a relationship with, especially a sexual relationship.
  There is a new man in her life.
 28) PHRASE: usu with brd-neg, usu PHR after v (emphasis) You can use in all my life or in my life to emphasize that you have never previously experienced something to such a degree.
  I have never been so scared in all my life...
  I have never seen such a shambles in my life.
 29) PHRASE: N inflects (emphasis) You can use expressions such as the fright of your life or the race of your life to emphasize, for example, that you have never been so frightened or that you never have run faster.
  A top reggae singer gave a young fan the thrill of her life when he serenaded her.
 30) PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n If you say that someone or something is larger than life, you mean that they appear or behave in a way that seems more exaggerated or important than usual.
  ...not that we should expect all good publishers to be larger than life...
  Nobody takes seriously the improbable storylines and larger than life characters.
 31) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR for n If someone lays down their life for another person, they die so that the other person can live. [LITERARY]
  Man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
 32) PHRASE: V inflects To risk life and limb means to do something very dangerous in order to achieve something.
  Viewers will remember the dashing hero, Dirk, risking life and limb to rescue Daphne from the dragons.
 33) PHRASE: N inflects If you start a new life, you move to another place or country, or change your career, usually to try and recover from an unpleasant experience.
  He had gone as far away as possible to build a new life.
 34) CONVENTION (emphasis) If someone says `Not on your life', they are totally rejecting a suggestion that has been made. [INFORMAL]
  `You should have given him a lift.' - `In that condition? Not on your life!'
  Syn:
  no way
 35) PHRASE: V and N inflect If you live your own life, you live in the way that you want to and accept responsibility for your actions and decisions, without other people's advice or interference.
  Adults need to live their own lives and that's difficult with children.
 36) PHRASE: V and N inflect If you say that something rules someone's life, you mean that it affects everything they do, usually in a negative way.
  I'm going to stop letting drugs and drink rule my life.
 37) PHRASE: N inflects, PHR after v (emphasis) If you say that someone cannot do something to save their life, you are emphasizing that they do it very badly. [INFORMAL]
  Winston could not have read the road signs to save his life.
 38) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR (approval) If you refer to someone as the life and soul of the party, you mean that they are very lively and entertaining on social occasions, and are good at mixing with people. In American English, you usually say that they are the life of the party.
 39) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR as n If something starts life or begins life as a particular thing, it is that thing when it first starts to exist.
  Herr's book started life as a dramatic screenplay.
 40) PHRASE: V and N inflect If someone takes another person's life, they kill them. If someone takes their own life, they kill themselves. [FORMAL]
  Before execution, he admitted to taking the lives of at least 35 more women...
  He helped his first wife take her life when she was dying of cancer.
 41) CONVENTION (feelings) People say `That's life' after an unlucky, unpleasant, or surprising event to show that they realize such events happen occasionally and must be accepted.
  `It never would have happened if Florette had not gone back for the book.' - `That's life.'
 42) PHRASE: V inflects You can use expressions such as to come to life, to spring to life, and to roar into life to indicate that a machine or vehicle suddenly starts working or moving. [LITERARY]
  To his great relief the engine came to life...
  In the garden of the Savoy Hotel the sprinklers suddenly burst into life.
 43) CONVENTION (feelings) People say `What a life' to indicate that they are unhappy or are having great difficulties.
  Here I am at a crummy hotel with no clean clothes, no money and suffering from shock. What a life!
 44) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that life isn't worth living without something, or that something makes life worth living, you mean that you cannot enjoy life without it.
  Life is not worth living without food you can look forward to and enjoy!...
  Those are the moments which make life worth living.
 45) → See also fact of life, kiss of life
 a matter of life and deathsee death
 a new lease of lifesee lease
 to have the time of your lifesee time
 true to lifesee true

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

1life /ˈlaɪf/ noun, pl lives /ˈlaɪvz/
1 [noncount] : the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks
• He believes that God gives life to all creatures.
• the miracle of life
• eternal/everlasting life
2 a : the period of time when a person is alive

[noncount]

• She knew what she wanted to do early in life. [=when she was young]
• He became famous relatively late in life. [=at a relatively old age]
• He became famous later in life. = He became famous in later life.

[count]

• She was happy and healthy for most of her life.
• The people in her family tend to have long/short lives.
• I've known her all my life.
• He is nearing the end of his life.
• They spent their whole/entire lives in one town. = They lived in one town all their lives.
• People can expect to change jobs several times in their life/lives.
• They've been waiting their whole/entire life/lives for an opportunity like this.
• This is the financial opportunity of his life. [=of his lifetime; the best chance in his life to make money]
b : the experience of being alive

[noncount]

• What do you really want out of life?
• He believes in living life to the fullest. [=in living a very full and rich life]
• All this paperwork has made life much more difficult.
• The details of everyday/ordinary life can be fascinating.
life in the city/country = city/country life
• Sometimes life just isn't fair.
• We can laugh at things in movies that would scare us in real life. [=in a real situation; in actual existence]
• Oh well, that's life! [=bad things will happen, and you have to deal with them]
• Despite the political upheaval, for most people life goes on as usual. [=the activities of life continue in the usual way]

[count]

• What do you really want to do with your life?
• Her children say that she has ruined their lives.
• She talked about the men in her life. [=the men she has had a romantic or close relationship with during her life]
• She has dedicated/devoted her life to helping other people.
• All this paperwork has made my life much more difficult.
• They're trying to get/put their lives back together. [=to begin living in a normal way after suffering loss, hardship, etc.]
• She was the love of my life. [=the person I loved more than any other person at any time in my life]
• I've never heard such a silly idea in all my life! [=at any time] = Never in my life have I heard such a silly idea!
• They're old enough to run/live their own lives. [=to make their own decisions about how to live]
• After all the problems they've had recently, they just want to get/move on with their lives. [=to continue living their lives in the usual way]
• I'm not surprised that I didn't get the job. That's the story of my life. [=that's the way things usually or always happen in my life]
- often used before another noun
• She told us her life story. [=she told us about many of the things that had happened to her in her life]
• a lack of life experience [=experience and knowledge gained through living]
✦If your life flashes/passes before your eyes or if your life flashes/passes before you, many memories from different parts of your life quickly appear in your mind one after the other.
• Her life flashed before her eyes when her car was about to crash.
3 [count]
a : a specified part of a person's life
• He talked about his life as an artist.
• the social lives of college students
• How's your love/sex life?
• They had difficult home lives when they were children.
• They are trying to keep their personal/private lives separate from their public lives.
• the responsibilities of their family life
b : a specified way or manner of living
• He lived/led a life of crime. [=he was a criminal]
• They have lived/led sheltered lives.
• He is trying to make a better life for himself and his family.
✦Your way of life is how you live your life.
• a fisherman's way of life
• Most people don't approve of my way of life.
• a traditional way of life
4 [count] : the state or condition of being alive
• They spared the horse's life. [=they did not kill the horse]
• She feels that her life is in danger. = She fears for her life. = She is in fear for her life. [=she feels that she is in danger of being killed]
• She risked her life [=she did something very dangerous that could have resulted in her death] to help him.
• She gave/sacrificed her life [=she did something that resulted in her death] for her country.
• He was running for his life. [=he was running to escape from great danger]
• He is fighting for his life. [=he is very sick or injured and may die]
• A would-be assassin made an attempt on the President's life. [=tried to kill the President]
5 [noncount] : living things of a specified kind or in a specified place
• There may be a great deal of animal/plant life still to be discovered in this region.
• forest life
• ocean life
• Will we ever find intelligent life on other planets?
6 : the time when something can be used : the period when something exists or is useful or effective

[noncount]

• battery life
• the life of an insurance policy
• They claim that using their product will extend the life of the car.
• a warranty that is good for the life of the product

[count]

• a product that extends the lives of the rugs/cars
- see also half-life, shelf life
7 [noncount]
a : energy and spirit
• eyes full of life
• (informal) suck the life out of a room [=take all the fun and energy out of a group of people in a room]
b : activity and movement
• The streets were humming with life. [=the streets were filled with people and activity]
• There were no signs of life in the deserted village.
8 [count] : a book that tells about the life of a person : biography
• She wrote a life of Napoleon.
• Boswell's Life of Johnson
9 [noncount] : the punishment of being kept in a prison for the rest of your life : life imprisonment
• He was found guilty and sentenced to life. = (informal) He got life. = He was given life.
a dog's life
- see 1dog
a life of its own
✦Something that takes on a life of its own becomes very large, important, or hard to control.
• The project soon took on a life of its own and prevented us from getting any other work done.
• The story took on a life of its own and began to appear on news broadcasts everywhere.
all walks of life or every walk of life
- see 2walk
a matter of life and death : something that is extremely important and often involves decisions that will determine whether someone lives or dies
• Being prepared for severe weather can be a matter of life and death.
- see also life-and-death
a new lease on/of life
- see 1lease
(as) big as life US or chiefly Brit (as) large as life informal : in person - used to describe the surprise of seeing someone
• I never expected her to come to the party, but there she was, as big as life.
bet/stake your life on
✦If you would bet/stake your life on something, you are very sure that it will happen.
• “Will she keep her promise?” “I'd bet/stake my life on it!”
breathe (new) life into : to give new energy and excitement to (something)
• She is credited with breathing new life into contemporary art.
• The singer managed to breathe life into some tired old songs.
bring someone or something back to life : to cause someone or something that has died to begin living again
• The story is about a mad scientist who tries to bring dead people back to life.
- often used figuratively
• They're trying to bring the restaurant back to life by introducing a new menu.
• an old theory that is being brought back to life
bring something to life : to make something very interesting, appealing, or exciting
• She brings history to life with her books.
come to life
1 : to become very interesting, appealing, or exciting
• The movie really comes to life when she appears on the screen.
2 of a place : to become filled with the energy and excitement of active people
• Downtown comes to life each night when the clubs open.
3 or sputter/roar (etc.) to life of a machine : to begin working
• The engine suddenly roared to life.
depart this life
- see depart
for dear life : very tightly or quickly because of fear or danger
• He was hanging/holding on to the rope for dear life.
• They were running for dear life to get away from the vicious dogs.
for life : for the whole of your life : for the rest of your life
• They met in college and have remained friends for life.
• He was sentenced to prison for life.
for the life of me informal : in any way at all - used to say that you are unable to remember or understand something
• I couldn't for the life of me remember what her name was.
For the life of me, I can't think of any reasons why you wouldn't want a computer at home.
frighten/scare the life out of informal : to frighten (someone) very badly
• You (nearly) scared the life out of me when you startled me like that!
from life of a painting, drawing, etc. : from looking at an actual person, object, etc.
• drawings done from life rather than from photographs
get a life informal : to stop spending time doing or thinking about things that are not important or interesting : to begin to have a more interesting or exciting life
• My girlfriend's parents are nice people, but all they do is watch TV all day. They need to get a life.
larger than life
- see 1large
lay down your life
- see lay down at 1lay
life depends on
✦If your life depends on something, then you must do it.
• His life depends on how he answers this question.
• He was studying as if his life depended on it.
- often used in negative statements
• I wouldn't eat that food if my life depended on it. [=I would never eat it]
lose your life : to die
• She nearly lost her life in a car accident.
• Many lives were lost. [=many people died]
new life
✦When something takes on (a) new life or when you give something new life or give new life to something, it becomes more active, interesting, etc.
• Plain old mashed potatoes take on a new life in this recipe.
• Falling interest rates gave new life to the housing market.
not on your life informal
- used as a very forceful way of saying “no” or “never”
• Do the government's policies really help the average worker? Not on your life.
risk life and limb : to do something that is very dangerous
• They risked life and limb to pull the child from the river.
save someone's life
- see 1save
spring into/to life
- see 2spring
staff of life
- see 1staff
such is life
- see 2such
take/claim someone's life : to cause someone's death
• Two years ago he was diagnosed with the illness that eventually took his life.
• The flood claimed many lives. [=caused the deaths of many people]
take your own life : to kill yourself
• He threatened to take his own life [=commit suicide], but no one believed him.
the life of the party US or chiefly Brit the life and soul of the party : someone who is very lively and amusing at a party or other social gathering
the light of your life
- see 1light
the next life or the life to come : a life that is believed by some people to come after death
• He believed that he would see his family again in the next life.
the simple life
- see simple
to save your life
- see 1save
true to life
- see 1true

- see also fact of life, good life, slice-of-life, still life

 

live

(to continue) to be alive or have life

US /lɪv/ 
UK /lɪv/ 

زنده‌ بودن‌، عمر كردن‌

مثال: 

He lived a long life.

او خيلى‌ عمر كرد.

to have your home in a particular place

معادل فارسی: 

زنده‌ بودن‌، عمر كردن‌

مثال انگلیسی: 

He lived a long life.

او خيلى‌ عمر كرد.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

verb (lives, living, lived )

1 to have your home somewhere:
Where do you live?
He still lives with his parents.

2 to be or stay alive:
You can't live without water.
He lived to the age of 93.

3 to spend your life in a certain way:
They live a quiet life in the country.

live on something

1 to eat something as your only food:
Cows live on grass.

2 to have enough money to buy what you need to live:
They live on £70 a week.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

live

 

I.   verb

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

See also: live with somebody

 

Word Origin:

Old English libban lifian Germanic Dutch leven German leben life leave

 

Thesaurus:

live verb

1. I (always used with an adverb or preposition)

• I live in a small house near the station.

formal inhabit • • occupy • • reside • |written people

live/reside in/among/near sth

live in/inhabit/occupy/reside in a house

live in/inhabit/people the world

2. I

• Spiders can live for days without food.

survive • • come through (sth) • • make it • • pull through

Opp: die

live/survive on (a diet of) sth

live/survive for a few days/many years, etc.

live/survive without food/money, etc.

live/survive/come/make it/pull through sth

3. I (not usually used in the progressive tenses)

• He's the greatest painter who ever lived.

exist • • be found

 

Example Bank:

• All she wanted was to get married and live happily ever after.

• He lives in Cape Town.

• He was living quietly with his family.

• He's now living a life of luxury in Australia.

• He's still living at home.

• I absolutely could not live without my cell phone!

• I did want to live more fully.

• I shall remember this day for as long as I live.

• I still live with my mum.

• I'm not going to live here permanently.

• Many of the people live in poverty and misery.

• Most of the people live very well, with nice houses and plenty to eat.

• She disapproves of unmarried couples living together.

• She lived through two world wars.

• She lived to the age of 95.

• She lives quite near here.

• She tried to live vicariously through her children.

• She's lived at this same address for four years.

• The couple have lived apart for two years.

• They lived among the people of this remote island.

• They lived frugally off a diet of beans and lentils.

• They'll have enough money to live comfortably.

• Tonight she felt like living dangerously.

• We went to live in Canada when I was three.

• Who wants to live forever? I don't.

• Women live longer than men in general.

• You can live there quite cheaply.

• children living separately from their parents

• learning to live with disability

• living with Aids

• older people still living independently

• teaching children about the world we live in

• the need to live as harmoniously as possible with everyone else

• young couples looking for a place to live

• He's the greatest player who ever lived.

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

• I live in an old farmhouse.

• She needs to find somewhere to live.

• Where do these plates live?

• to live (on) for decades/many years/all my life/the rest of my life

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.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD 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 mouthsee hand
 to live a liesee lie
 to live beyond your meanssee means
 to live in sinsee 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

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.

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