live in the past
To dwell on and ruminate about past events.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You should stop living in the past and look forward.”
“He refuses to try new hobbies because he is still living in the past, constantly talking about his old college days.”
“By choosing to live in the past, she missed the vibrant opportunities of the present and remained trapped in memories that no longer served her.”
- 01
blast from the past
Something or someone that a person has not seen for a long time that evokes nostalgic feelings.
- 02
die the way one lived
To die because of or after doing something characteristic of oneself, especially something that one enjoyed doing.
- 03
ghost from one's past
Something unpleasant from one's past that "haunts" them (makes them feel uneasy) to the present day.
- 04
live a lie
To conceal something about oneself, without the knowledge of which others cannot know one's true character or perspective.
- 05
live and die by
Be completely reliant upon.
- 06
live and let live
To be tolerant; to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities which life offers and to allow others to do the same.
- 07
live beyond one's means
Have a lifestyle where one's spending regularly exceeds one's income.
- 08
live down
To cause others to forget about something embarrassing that happened to oneself.
Last updated August 10, 2026