alive
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈlaɪv/
rhymes: -aɪv
Forms: form: more alive
form: most alive
Etymology: From Middle English 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”).
Senses: examples: text: As long as the plant is alive, he will continue to water it.
text: 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.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Rev 1:18:
glosses: Having life; living; not dead.
examples: text: to keep the fire alive
text: to keep the affections alive
glosses: In a state of action; in force or operation; existent.
examples: text: Although quite dull during the day, the main street comes alive at night, with many bars and clubs opening.
text: The Boyne, for a quarter of a mile, was alive with muskets and green boughs.
ref: 1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second:
glosses: Busy with activity of many living beings; swarming; thronged; busy.
examples: text: DANGER: OVERHEAD CATENARY—WIRE IS ALIVE
glosses: Carrying electrical current; energized.
raw_tags: of electrical wiring
examples: text: We are alive to the ongoing potential for terrorist attacks.
text: We may be sure that the Church would be alive to the dangers of allowing the plays to be performed outside the sacred edifice.
ref: 1925, Godfrey W. Mathews, The Chester Mystery Plays […] ., Liverpool: Edward Howell LTD, page 5:
text: Like many producers, she [Shonda Rhimes] is also alive to concerns over how AI tools will feed into the process of making TV.
ref: 2025 September 13, Daniel Thomas, “Lunch with the FT: Shonda Rhimes”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 3:
glosses: Aware of; sensitive to.
raw_tags: in the construction "alive to"
examples: text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 2018 May 26, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):
glosses: Sprightly; lively; brisk.
examples: text: Though tremblingly alive to Nature's laws, Yet ever firm to Honour's sacred cause
ref: 1762, William Falconer, The Shipwreck:
text: This was a reproach to John, and a slur upon the dog; and both were alive to their misfortune.
ref: 1887, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Pastoral”, in Memories and Portraits, New York: Charles Scribner, page 99:
glosses: Susceptible, sensitive; easy to impress; having keen feelings, as opposed to apathy.
examples: text: The Whitest Boy Alive
text: The Earl of Northumberland 'was the proudest man alive' and 'was in all his deportment a very great man.
ref: 1702, Edward Hyde Clarendon, The History of the Rebellion:
text: I'm the toughest girl alive / I walked through the fire and I survived.
ref: 2000, Candye Kane, “The Toughest Girl Alive”:
glosses: Out of all living creatures.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
programming
sciences
glosses: Synonym of live.
synonyms: word: live
Synonyms: sense: having life
word: alive and kicking
word: extant
word: vital
sense: in a state of action
word: existing
sense: sprightly, lively, brisk
word: frisky
word: peppy
word: zestful
word: active
sense: carrying electrical current
word: energized
sense: carrying electrical current
word: hot
sense: carrying electrical current
word: live
sense: out of all living creatures
word: ever
sense: out of all living creatures
word: in the world
word: above ground
word: alive
word: alive and well
word: animate
word: animated
word: kicking
word: lively
word: livesome
word: living
word: quick
word: still with us
word: surviving
word: undeceased
word: vitalic
Hyponyms: word: livish
word: relict
word: unwilted
Derived terms: alive and kicking
alive and well
alive internet theory
alively
aliveness
born-alive
catch-'em-alive-O
Christ alive
come alive
dead-alive
dead-and-alive
dead or alive
eat someone alive
flay someone alive
for land's sake alive
for land's sakes alive
for the land's sake alive
for the land's sakes alive
keepalive
keep hope alive
land sake alive
land sakes alive
land's sake alive
land's sakes alive
look alive
man alive
mercy sake's alive
more dead than alive
nonalive
sakes alive
skin someone alive
snakes alive
unalive