Link Centre Dictionary

alive

UK/əˈlaɪv/ US/ʌˈlaɪv/ very common

adjective

1.

possessing life

  • “the happiest person alive”
  • “the nerve is alive”
  • “doctors are working hard to keep him alive”
  • “burned alive”
Antonyms
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2.

(often followed by `with'') full of life and spirit

  • “she was wonderfully alive for her age”
  • “a face alive with mischief”
Similar
3.

having life or vigor or spirit

  • “an animated and expressive face”
  • “animated conversation”
  • “became very animated when he heard the good news”
Synonyms
Antonyms
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4.

(followed by `to'' or `of'') aware of

  • “is alive to the moods of others”
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5.

in operation

  • “keep hope alive”
  • “the tradition was still alive”
  • “an active tradition”
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6.

(usually followed by `to'') showing acute awareness; mentally perceptive

  • “alert to the problems”
  • “alive to what is going on”
  • “awake to the dangers of her situation”
  • “was now awake to the reality of his predicament”
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7.

of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct

  • “a dormant volcano”
Synonyms
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Origin

From Middle English alyve, alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whence English quick). Equivalent to a- + life. Compare Dutch in leven (“alive”, literally “in life”), German am Leben (“alive”, literally “at life" or "at living”).

Phrases

  • alive and kicking
  • alive and well
  • alive internet theory
  • Christ alive
  • come alive
  • dead or alive
  • eat someone alive
  • flay someone alive

Related words

Word family

See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.