Word
eke
US/ˈik/
UK/ˈiːk/
Definition
v. to make a small amount of something last longer by using it very carefully. You often use it for money, food, or time when you do not have much.
v. to prolong a meagre supply through frugal or laborious use, often just reaching subsistence. Typically appears in the construction 'eke out' followed by a phrase denoting livelihood, supply, or existence.
Examples
“They eke out their savings to pay the rent.”
“After losing his job, he ekes out a living by repairing old bicycles.”
“During the drought, farming families eked out their grain stores through the winter by rationing every meal with strict care.”
Examples
simple
“They eke out their savings to pay the rent.”
contextual
“After losing his job, he ekes out a living by repairing old bicycles.”
complex
“During the drought, farming families eked out their grain stores through the winter by rationing every meal with strict care.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “eke” in context.
Verb
01. eke out
“They had to eke out their savings for months after he lost his job.”
verb + particle
Noun
02. eke out existence
“Refugees eked out a precarious existence in the makeshift camp.”
verb + particle + noun
03. eke out income
“She eked out a modest income by mending clothes and cleaning houses.”
verb + particle + noun
04. eke out living
“After the drought, farmers struggled to eke out a living from the dry land.”
verb + particle + noun
05. eke out profit
“Small traders eked out a meagre profit despite sharply rising costs.”
verb + particle + noun
06. eke out a living
“He eked out a living selling firewood by the roadside.”
07. eke out a meagre profit
“Despite inflation, street vendors still eke out a meagre profit.”
08. eke out an existence
“Displaced families eked out an existence in overcrowded shelters.”
09. eke out dwindling savings
“Pensioners were forced to eke out dwindling savings through the winter.”
10. eke out limited resources
“The village had to eke out limited resources until aid arrived.”
Usage
Appears almost exclusively as 'eke out' followed by a direct object, such as 'eke out a living'.
Real-World Examples
“In this most pessimistic of scenarios, society would collapse, leaving just a few hundred thousand eking out a meagre existence in a new Stone Age.” “Likewise, it seems a stretch to imagine that a woman who was eking out an existence many millennia ago would be carrying around so much extra body fat — unless her “bloated” belly and thighs were the result of a pregnancy.” “The prospect of eking out his existence on death row for the rest of his life was unfathomable to him, said Edgar Barens, a filmmaker who had spent time with Mr. Dozier for a documentary that is still in progress about families affected by death penalty cases.” Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English eke (“addition, increase, enlargement”), from Old English ēaca, from Proto-Germanic aukô, from aukaną (“to increase, add, enlarge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- (“to enlarge, increase”). The English noun is cognate with Old Frisian āka (“addition, increase; bonus”), Old Norse auki (“growth, increase, proliferation”). The verb is derived partly: * from the noun; and from Middle English eken (“to increase, add, enlarge”) [and other forms], from three distinct verbs (1) Old English īeċan (“to increase, add, enlarge”) (transitive), (2) ēacan (“to be enlarged or increased”), and (3) ēacian, all from Proto-Germanic aukaną (“to grow, increase”); see further above. The English verb is cognate with Latin augeō (“to augment, increase; to enlarge, expand, spread; to lengthen; to exaggerate; to enrich; to honour; (figuratively) to exalt, praise”), Old English ēac (“also”), Old Norse auka (“to augment, increase; to add; to exceed, surpass”), Icelandic auka (“to augment, increase to add; to exceed, surpass”), (Danish øge (“to enhance; to increase”), Norwegian Bokmål øke (“to increase”), Norwegian Nynorsk auka (“to increase”), Swedish öka (“to increase”)).
From Middle English ek, eek, eke (“also”) [and other forms], from Old English ēac, ǣc, ēc (“also”), from Proto-West Germanic auk, from Proto-Germanic auk (“also, too; furthermore, in addition”), then either: from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewg- (“to enlarge, increase”); or from Pre-Germanic h₂ew (“away from, off; again”) + *g(ʰ)e (postpositional intensifying particle meaning ‘at any rate, indeed, in fact’) The English word is cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌿𐌺 (auk, “also; for, because; but also”), Old Frisian âk, Old High German ouh (“also, as well, too”) (Middle High German ouch, modern German auch (“also, as well, too”)), Old Norse auk (“also; and”) (Danish og (“and”), Swedish och (“and”), ock (“(dated) also, as well as, too”)), Old Saxon ôk, Dutch ook (“also, too; moreover; either”), Saterland Frisian ook, uk (“also, too”), West Frisian ek (“also, too”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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