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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

alive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

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”).

Meanings

  1. (predicative) Having life; living; not dead.
    • I am hee that liueth, and was dead : and behold, I am aliue foꝛ euermoꝛe,Amen,and haue the keyes of hell and of death. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Rev 1:18:
    • As long as the plant is alive, he will continue to water it.
  2. (predicative) In a state of action; in force or operation; existent.
    • to keep the fire alive
    • to keep the affections alive
  3. (predicative) Busy with activity of many living beings; swarming; thronged; busy.
    • The Boyne, for a quarter of a mile, was alive with muskets and green boughs. 1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second:
    • First a solitary blackbird started up, and soon the whole forest was alive with birdsong.
    • Although quite dull during the day, the main street comes alive at night, with many bars and clubs opening.
  4. (of electrical wiring, predicative) Carrying electrical current; energized.
    • DANGER: OVERHEAD CATENARY—WIRE IS ALIVE
  5. (in the construction "alive to", predicative) Aware of; sensitive to.
    • We may be sure that the Church would be alive to the dangers of allowing the plays to be performed outside the sacred edifice. 1925, Godfrey W. Mathews, The Chester Mystery Plays […] ., Liverpool: Edward Howell LTD, page 5:
    • The railways are fully alive to the position, and are sparing neither effort nor expense to provide more attractive trains and to effect economies, but in such circumstances some curtailment of services is inevitable. 1958 May 14, “Railway Difficulties in the U.S.A.”, in Railway Magazine, page 296:
    • We are alive to the ongoing potential for terrorist attacks.
    • Like many producers, she [Shonda Rhimes] is also alive to concerns over how AI tools will feed into the process of making TV. 2025 September 13, Daniel Thomas, “Lunch with the FT: Shonda Rhimes”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:
  6. (predicative) Sprightly; lively; brisk.
    • Smouch, requesting Mr. Pickwick in a surly manner ‘to be as alive as he could, for it was a busy time,’ drew up a chair by the door and sat there, until he had finished dressing. 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter name)”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:
    • Liverpool’s equaliser came within four minutes. James Milner swung the ball over from a corner on the right and Sadio Mané, Liverpool’s most dangerous player, was alive in the six-yard area. 2018 May 26, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):
  7. (predicative) Susceptible, sensitive; easy to impress; having keen feelings, as opposed to apathy.
    • This was a reproach to John, and a slur upon the dog; and both were alive to their misfortune. 1887, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Pastoral”, in Memories and Portraits, New York: Charles Scribner, page 99:
    • Though tremblingly alive to Nature's laws, Yet ever firm to Honour's sacred cause 1762, William Falconer, The Shipwreck:
    • Beedel raised his slow, meditative eyes and wondered for the hundredth time at the strangely alive expression in the gaze that really seemed to meet his own. 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
  8. (emphatic, intensifier, predicative) Out of all living creatures.
    • The Earl of Northumberland 'was the proudest man alive' and 'was in all his deportment a very great man. 1702, Edward Hyde Clarendon, The History of the Rebellion:
    • The Whitest Boy Alive
    • I'm the toughest girl alive / I walked through the fire and I survived. 2000, Candye Kane, “The Toughest Girl Alive”:
  9. (predicative) Synonym of live.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most alive Degree=Sup lexicographic
more alive Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Antonyms

dead

Deriveds

for the land's sake alive · catch-'em-alive-O · sakes alive · land's sake alive · look alive · mercy sake's alive · dead or alive · dead-and-alive · for land's sakes alive · alive and well · snakes alive · keepalive · alive internet theory · skin someone alive · flay someone alive · dead-alive · for land's sake alive · alively · born-alive · nonalive · unalive · for the land's sakes alive · saints alive · Christ alive · come alive · alive and kicking · land sake alive · man alive · eat someone alive · more dead than alive · land's sakes alive · land sakes alive · keep hope alive · aliveness · working alive

Hyponyms

unwilted · livish · relict

Synonyms

lively · animated · livesome · surviving · living · undeceased · live · extant · frisky (sprightly, lively, brisk) · hot (carrying electrical current) · quick · zestful · animate · in the world (out of all living creatures) · alive and well · vital · alive · peppy · ever (out of all living creatures) · kicking · still with us · alive and kicking (having life) · live (carrying electrical current) · above ground · energized (carrying electrical current) · vitalic · existing (in a state of action)

Translations (220)

hi सजीव (in a state of action) · kmr jîndar (having life) · ltg dzeivs (having life) · fi kiireinen (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · no i live (having life) · ja 生きている (having life) · sc bivu (having life) · fi eläväinen (sprightly, lively, brisk) · udi гъуй (having life) · de lebendig (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · ast vivu (having life) · dsb žywy (having life) · sc biu (having life) · kw byw (having life) · sh жив (having life) · hu eleven (sprightly, lively, brisk) · fi kaikista (of all living) · gv bio (in a state of action) · rup viu (having life) · fi eloisa (sprightly, lively, brisk) · pt vivo (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · scn vivu (having life) · ka ცოცხალი (having life) · ur جیتا (having life) · nl levendig (in a state of action) · gd beò (having life) · gv bio (having life) · mr सक्रिय (sprightly, lively, brisk) · be жывы́ (having life) · et elus (having life) · pt vivo (sprightly, lively, brisk) · ba тере (having life) · pt vivo (in a state of action) · uk живи́й (having life) · rap aringa (having life) · tr hayatta (having life) · hi जीवित (having life) · id hidup (having life) · ml ജീവനുള്ള (having life) · sl živ (having life) · yai зинда (having life) · hu élő (having life) · kea vive (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · sq i gjall (sprightly, lively, brisk) · is lifandi (having life) · cmn 活著 /活着 (having life) · pt vivo (having life) · xsr གསོན་པུ (having life) · fur vîf (having life) · tl buhay (having life) · it attivo (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · fi elävä (in a state of action) · bg чувствителен (having susceptibility) · zdj na muo (having life) · sh živ (having life) · hi सजीव (having life) · ang on līfe (having life) · mr जिवंत (having life) · is á lífi (having life) · hi क्रियाशील (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · bg гъмжащ (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · hy ողջ (having life) · sw hai (having life) · ht vivan (having life) · sq jeto (having life) · fur vîv (having life) · ps ژوندى (having life) · fi ikinä (of all living) · eu bizirik (having life) · oc vivent (having life) · zdj hai (having life) · fi toimiva (in a state of action) · ur زندہ (having life) · xsv gīvas (having life) · kea vive (having life) · hi जीता (having life) · ko 살아있는 (having life) · enm quik (having life) · rup ghiu (having life) · bg оживе́н (in a state of action) · yua kuxaʼan (having life) · ang cwic (having life) · hi सक्रिय (in a state of action) · fi elävä (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · de lebendig (in a state of action) · nl levend (having life) · mr सजीव (having life) · io vivanta (in a state of action) · ru живо́й (having life) · lt gyvas (having life) · enm alyve (in a state of action) · az diri (having life) · bn জিন্দা (having life) · zdj na moo (having life) · za lix (having life) · el ζωντανός (having life) · ga beo (in a state of action) · de lebendig (having life) · gd beò (sprightly, lively, brisk) · cs živý (having life) · tr diri (having life) · sl živahen (sprightly, lively, brisk) · tr sağ (having life) · kok जितें (having life) · ta கலகலப்பான (sprightly, lively, brisk) · sc bibu (having life) · ne जीवित (having life) · hu életben lévő (having life) · fi pirteä (sprightly, lively, brisk) · lb lieweg (having life) · ga beo (having life) · oc viu (having life) · fi reipas (sprightly, lively, brisk) · tr canlı (having life) · hy սաղ (having life) · gd beò (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · fi herkkä (having susceptibility) · ba иҫән (having life) · tg зинда (having life) · gl vivo (having life) · bcl buhay (having life) · ar حَيّ (having life) · kea bibu (having life) · pl żywy (having life) · zku purruna (having life) · io vivanta (having life) · enm alyve (having life) · ta உயிருடன் (having life) · fr vivant (having life) · es vivo (having life) · acw عايش (having life) · ruq viu (having life) · bg енергичен (in a state of action) · io vivanta (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · ca vivent (having life) · cic okchá̠a (having life) · enm quik (in a state of action) · vi sống (having life) · mi kaiao (having life) · it attivo (in a state of action) · la vīvus (having life) · rup yiu (having life) · txb śāmane (having life) · fa زنده (having life) · bg жив (having life) · tr canlı (sprightly, lively, brisk) · swb na mo (having life) · hu eleven (having life) · kea bibu (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · bn জীবন্ত (having life) · hi सक्रिय (sprightly, lively, brisk) · th มีชีวิต (having life) · sa जीवित (having life) · xag 𐕘𐕒𐕡𐔺 (having life) · grc ζωός (having life) · fi altis (having susceptibility) · no levende (having life) · tr diri (sprightly, lively, brisk) · nv hiná (having life) · io vivanta (sprightly, lively, brisk) · tr yaşam dolu (sprightly, lively, brisk) · ne जिउँदो (having life) · hi ज़िंदा (having life) · swb hayi (having life) · it vivo (having life) · gv bio (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · sq gjall (having life) · he חַי (having life) · war buhi (having life) · ro viu (having life) · arz حي (having life) · ga beo (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · sq jetesa (of all living) · ml സജീവം (in a state of action) · km នៅរស់ (having life) · fi vilkas (sprightly, lively, brisk) · nay markuldi (having life) · mww ciaj (having life) · acw حَي (having life) · ckb زندو (having life) · az canlı (having life) · hu élénk (sprightly, lively, brisk) · fi päällä maan (of all living) · ta உயிரோடு (having life) · mr क्रियाशिल (exhibiting the activity and motion of many living beings) · clt hring (having life) · fi elävä (having life) · fi elossa oleva (having life) · fr en vie (having life) · pjt wanka (having life) · hy կենդանի (having life) · hi जीवंत (having life) · ca viu (having life) · gd beò (in a state of action) · fi hengissä oleva (having life) · eo viva (having life) · lv dzīvs (having life) · nnv purru (having life) · ruq ghiu (having life) · arz عايش (having life) · mr सक्रिय (in a state of action) · sa जीव (having life) · bo གསོན་པོ (having life) · it animato (in a state of action) · rm viv (having life) · mk жив (having life) · sk živý (having life) · gv bio (sprightly, lively, brisk) · th เป็น (having life) · pl żywcem (having life) · ckb زندوی (in a state of action) · rm veiv (having life) · cy byw (having life) · sa आयु (having life) · kmr candar (having life) · kmr zindî (having life) · sc viu (having life) · cu живъ (having life) · ru в живы́х (having life) · sv levande (having life)