# survive

/sɝˈvaɪv/ (US) · /səvˈaɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/survive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to stay alive

verb · CEFR B1

to continue to live after a dangerous accident, illness, or disaster.

For teachers: to remain alive after a life-threatening event or period of hardship.

- The small plants managed to survive the cold winter without any extra protection.
- Few species are equipped to survive the extreme temperatures and lack of oxygen found at such high altitudes.

Usage: Often used with 'on' to describe the food or resources used to stay alive.

### 2. to live longer than someone

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to live longer than another person, especially a family member.

For teachers: to outlive another person, typically a relative; often used in formal contexts like obituaries.

- She was sad to survive her younger brother by ten years.
- The deceased is survived by his wife of fifty years and three adult children.

Usage: In formal writing, the passive form 'is survived by' is standard for listing living relatives.

### 3. to continue to exist

verb · CEFR B1

to continue to exist or be used after a long time.

For teachers: to persist in existence or remain functional despite the passage of time or changing circumstances.

- Many ancient traditions still survive in the small mountain villages.
- Only a handful of original manuscripts survive from the library's extensive medieval collection.

Usage: Intransitive use; does not require a direct object.

### 4. to avoid relegation

verb · CEFR B2 · British English

to stay in a top sports league and not be moved to a lower one.

For teachers: to avoid demotion or relegation to a lower division within a competitive league structure.

- The team needs to win their final game to survive in the Premier League.
- After a disastrous start to the season, the club's primary objective was simply to survive the drop into the second tier.

Teaching tip: This is a very common metaphor in British football culture.

## Examples

- The small plants survive even in the cold winter.
- Many local businesses struggled to survive the economic downturn, but this shop stayed open by selling online.
- While the primary objective was to survive the initial impact of the storm, the community soon shifted its focus toward long-term recovery and rebuilding essential infrastructure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.