Dictionary

overlive en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əʊvəˈlɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /oʊvəɹˈlɪv/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English overliven, from Old English oferlibban (“to survive”), equivalent to over- + live. Cognate with Dutch overleven (“to survive”), German überleben (“to survive, outlive”), Swedish överleva (“to survive, outlive, outlast”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To survive; to live past.
2. (transitive) To outlive; live longer than.
   • "Her Majesty's life will never be safe for a moment while she lives; and what would become of us all did she overlive the Queen!" 1891, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 31, in Unknown to History: A Story of the Captivity of Mary of Scotland:
   • [M]y disease cannot survive me, I may overlive it. 1624, John Donne, Meditation VII:
3. (intransitive) To live too long.
   • The misguided youngsters are yachting, attending the races, playing the "stage Johnny," automobiling, playing poker for high stakes, overliving at home, on expensive shopping tours, attending box parties to the theatre, visiting high-priced restaurants, etc., etc. 1909, “"How Can He Do It?"”, in Notions and Fancy Goods, volume 43, page 30:
   • Why do I overlive? Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out to deathless pain? 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
4. (intransitive) To live too fast, too luxuriously, or too actively.

Forms

Deriveds

overliver