A1verb1K

Live

UK /["/lɪv/","/lɪvz/","/lɪvd/","/ˈlɪvɪŋ/"]/US /["/lɪv/","/lɪvz/","/lɪvd/","/ˈlɪvɪŋ/"]/

Definition

to have your home in a particular place

In simple words: to be alive or exist

Examples

  • I want to live in a big city someday.
  • Some animals live in trees.
  • They live a very happy life together.
  • The show will be live on television tonight.
  • She prefers live music over recorded tracks.

Usage notes

Use 'live' to talk about existence or actions happening in real-time. It's suitable for most contexts, both spoken and written. Avoid in overly formal texts where more precise verbs like 'reside' may be preferred.

Grammar pattern

live + adverb (e.g. live well)

Memory hint

Think of 'live' as 'life' – you live your life.

Collocations

  • alone
  • together
  • apart
  • come to
  • go to
  • among
  • at
  • in
  • live at home
  • a place to live
  • longer
  • forever
  • happily (ever after)
  • in
  • through
  • with
  • (for) as long as you live
  • learn to live with something
  • live a life of something
  • longer
  • forever
  • happily (ever after)
  • in
  • through
  • with
  • (for) as long as you live
  • learn to live with something
  • live a life of something

Synonyms

  • remain

Antonyms

  • die
  • cease
  • expire

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'live' as in 'live performance' vs 'live' as in 'to live somewhere'
  • 'Live' is often mispronounced as 'leave.'
  • Incorrectly using 'live' in past tense, like 'lived' for continuous actions