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View synonyms for survive

survive

[ ser-vahyv ]

verb (used without object)

, sur·vived, sur·viv·ing.
  1. to remain alive after the death of someone, the cessation of something, or the occurrence of some event; continue to live:

    Few survived after the holocaust.

    Synonyms: succeed, persist

  2. to remain or continue in existence or use:

    Ancient farming methods still survive in the Middle East.

  3. to get along or remain healthy, happy, and unaffected in spite of some occurrence:

    She's surviving after the divorce.



verb (used with object)

, sur·vived, sur·viv·ing.
  1. to continue to live or exist after the death, cessation, or occurrence of:

    His wife survived him. He survived the operation.

  2. to endure or live through (an affliction, adversity, misery, etc.):

    She's survived two divorces.

survive

/ səˈvaɪv /

verb

  1. tr to live after the death of (another)

    he survived his wife by 12 years

  2. to continue in existence or use after (a passage of time, an adversity, etc)
  3. informal.
    to endure (something)

    I don't know how I survive such an awful job



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Derived Forms

  • surˌvivaˈbility, noun
  • surˈvivable, adjective

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Other Words From

  • self-sur·viving adjective
  • unsur·vived adjective
  • unsur·viving adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of survive1

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French survivre, from Latin supervīvere, equivalent to super- super- + vīvere “to live”; sur- 1, vivid

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Word History and Origins

Origin of survive1

C15: from Old French sourvivre, from Latin supervīvere, from super- + vīvere to live

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Synonym Study

Survive, outlive refer to remaining alive longer than someone else or after some event. Survive usually means to succeed in keeping alive against odds, to live after some event that has threatened one: to survive an automobile accident. It is also used of living longer than another person (usually a relative), but, today, mainly in the passive, as in the fixed expression: The deceased is survived by his wife and children. Outlive stresses capacity for endurance, the time element, and sometimes a sense of competition: He outlived all his enemies. It is also used, however, of a person or object that has lived or lasted beyond a certain point: He has outlived his usefulness.

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Example Sentences

It survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and countless cycles of glaciation.

I think most of our interaction is an attempt to align the fictions that we build to be able to survive in the world.

We are all humans trying to survive a pandemic in our own ways.

From Fortune

All made money in 2019 after having survived several rocky years, according to data filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

From Fortune

At that time, Thrilling had announced that we would not take commission on any sales on our site for at least two months so that every dollar could go back to these stores who were all struggling to survive.

From Fortune

We've managed to survive, and I want to be a part of that tradition.

Of the ones that do survive, some will be too disillusioned to carry out an attack.

The longtime pals—and co-stars of The Interview—stripped down and tried to survive on the Discovery Channel reality series.

To survive on such low pay, she and her 11-year-old son share a house with another woman and four children.

The participants want to win—or at least they want to survive, and when losing means dying, winning is the only way to survive.

A word may survive and take a new meaning after its original meaning is no longer ascertainable.

A strenuous worker, Mr. Johnstone, like most men who have no hobby, did not long survive his retirement from active business life.

Footnote 48: Tobacco has been able to survive such attacks as these—nay, has raised up a host of defenders as well as opponents.

Feuchres died first, and, of the four artists assembled on that day at the Htel Pimodan, we only survive.

Of the anthropoid apes of Europe, probably numerous in individuals, a few remains of one or two species alone survive.

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