Definition of live

Short definition: The word live means to be alive or to make your home in a certain place, and it can also mean happening in real time. People use it to talk about daily life, experiences, and events that happen now.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the word live? The word live looks simple, but it can mean a few different things depending on how you use it. Sometimes it means being alive, sometimes it means where you stay, and sometimes it means something is happening right now in real time. You’ll hear it in daily conversations, in music and sports, and especially online when people talk about live streams. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, with enough detail to feel human and clear.

Forms: live, lives, lived, living
Related: life n., alive adj., lively adj.
Syllable: live

1. (Verb) To be alive, still breathing and existing, as the opposite of dying.

   To live means to be alive and continue existing. It can simply describe the basic fact that a person, animal, or plant is alive. People often use it in serious moments, like talking about survival or health.

   Doctors did everything they could to help him live.
   The puppy may not live without proper care.
   She is grateful to live after the accident.

   Synonyms: be alive, survive, exist, remain alive, stay living, continue, keep going, endure, hold on, carry on, make it, stay here
   Antonyms: die, pass away, perish, cease to exist, lose life, be gone, expire, fall, fade, end, vanish, succumb

2. (Verb) To spend your life in a certain way, not just existing, but actually experiencing it and making it feel real.

   People use live when talking about how they experience life. It can be about enjoying life, learning, trying new things, and not letting fear control every decision. This meaning is often emotional and personal.

   After years of stress, he finally learned to live again.
   She wants to live without constant regret.
   Traveling helped them live more fully.

   Synonyms: enjoy life, live fully, embrace life, experience life, make the most of life, live well, thrive, savor life, love life, follow your heart, live freely, live your life
   Antonyms: waste life, give up, exist without joy, hold back, live in fear, feel empty, withdraw, shut down, lose purpose, stop trying, drift, stagnate

3. (Verb) To have your home in a place, meaning that is where your daily life happens and where you normally stay.

   To live somewhere means a place is your home base. It can be a city, a neighborhood, or even a small apartment. This sense is about location, routines, and where you belong day to day.

   They live near the train station.
   I live with my parents right now.
   She used to live in Tokyo for two years.

   Synonyms: reside, stay, dwell, inhabit, be based, have a home, lodge, settle, rent a place, live in, make a home, remain
   Antonyms: move away, leave, relocate, travel constantly, be homeless, wander, be displaced, move out, depart, vacate, abandon, go

4. (Verb) To live with someone or something, meaning you share space or you deal with a situation day after day.

   Live is also used when talking about living together, like living with family, roommates, or a partner. It can also mean living with a problem, like a fear, a condition, or a difficult memory, meaning you manage it as part of daily life.

   He lives with two roommates.
   She learned to live with the noise of the city.
   Some people live with anxiety quietly for years.

   Synonyms: share a home, cohabit, stay with, live alongside, cope with, manage, deal with, endure, accept, adapt to, handle daily, carry
   Antonyms: separate, move out, avoid, escape, refuse, reject, deny, run from, break away, isolate, abandon, quit

5. (Verb) To remain in people’s memory or continue to be felt, even after time passes.

   Sometimes live means something continues to exist in a non-physical way. A tradition can live on, a story can live in people’s hearts, and a moment can live in someone’s mind. This is a poetic and emotional meaning.

   Her kindness will live in their memories.
   The old song still lives in every family gathering.
   His words lived with her for years.

   Synonyms: live on, endure, remain, last, continue, stay remembered, survive in memory, carry on, persist, stay alive in spirit, be remembered, echo
   Antonyms: be forgotten, disappear, fade away, end, die out, vanish, be erased, be lost, stop existing, be buried, be removed, be gone

6. (Verb) To survive through a difficult time, especially when it feels like you are barely making it.

   In hard situations, live can highlight survival. People use it when talking about living through war, illness, poverty, disaster, or deep stress. It carries a strong feeling of endurance.

   They had to live through months of uncertainty.
   He didn’t think he would live through the night.
   She lived through a very dark period.

   Synonyms: survive, endure, make it through, pull through, hold on, get through, last, withstand, keep going, stay alive, come through, weather
   Antonyms: die, give up, collapse, fail, quit, surrender, be defeated, perish, succumb, fall apart, lose hope, stop

7. (Adjective) Happening right now in real time, not recorded, not edited, just straight as it happens.

   As an adjective, live means it is happening now. A live concert, live match, or live stream is experienced in real time. People often like live events because they feel more exciting and unpredictable.

   We watched the show live online.
   The game is live on TV.
   She went live to answer questions.

   Synonyms: real-time, happening now, direct, not recorded, in the moment, on air, current, broadcast now, streaming now, happening today, immediate, as it happens
   Antonyms: recorded, pre-recorded, delayed, replayed, edited, archived, saved, offline, not live, on-demand, previously filmed, rerun

8. (Adjective) Performed in front of people, where the sound and energy come from the moment, not from a studio version.

   A live performance means musicians, comedians, or speakers perform on stage in front of an audience. Even if it is streamed online, it still feels live because it is not a studio recording. This meaning is common in music and entertainment.

   The band played a live set last night.
   I prefer the live version of that song.
   The comedian was even funnier live.

   Synonyms: on stage, in person, performed, real-time performance, in-concert, direct performance, stage version, not studio, performed live, in front of an audience, unedited performance, real performance
   Antonyms: studio, recorded, pre-recorded, edited, produced, dubbed, lip-synced, polished recording, track-based, playback, recorded version, rehearsal

9. (Adjective) Still active or still working, especially for a link, a website, a wire, or a system that is “on.”

   In tech and everyday talk, live can mean active. A live link works, a live website is online, and a live wire has electricity. It suggests something is running and you should treat it as real and active.

   The site is live now, you can visit it.
   Be careful, that cable is live.
   The team pushed the update to the live system.

   Synonyms: active, online, working, powered, connected, running, in service, operational, available, on, functioning, current
   Antonyms: offline, down, inactive, dead, disconnected, broken, shut down, powered off, unavailable, not working, disabled, out of service

10. (Adjective) Full of energy, bright, and lively, like a party or a place that feels busy and fun.

    In some informal contexts, live can describe atmosphere. People say a place feels live when it is full of activity, music, laughter, and movement. It’s close to “lively,” but more casual.

    The street was really live on Saturday night.
    The party got more live after the music started.
    That café feels live when the band plays.

    Synonyms: lively, energetic, buzzing, vibrant, active, exciting, full of life, upbeat, animated, dynamic, fun, happening
    Antonyms: dull, boring, quiet, lifeless, sleepy, empty, dead, flat, low-energy, silent, calm, still