live beyond one's means — to spend more money than one can afford or earns
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: to spend more money than one can afford or earns
Pronunciation (IPA): /lɪv bɪˈjɑːnd wʌnz miːnz/
Example Sentences
- Sarah lives beyond her means by shopping at designer stores on a minimum wage salary.
- He lived beyond his means for so long that his credit card company sent him a sympathy card.
- The couple realized they were living beyond their means when their dog started giving them financial advice.
live beyond one's means
NOUN[/lɪv bɪˈjɑːnd wʌnz miːnz/]
to spend more money than one can afford or earns
He keeps swiping his card to live beyond one's means, ignoring the unpaid bills piling up.
Designer jeans exceed my means!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'means' derives from Latin 'medianus' (middle, intermediate), originally signifying a middle ground or instrument. From the 14th century onwards, it evolved to denote financial resources or wealth, and when combined with 'beyond' (from Old English and Germanic roots meaning 'outside of' or 'exceeding'), the phrase acquired the sense of exceeding one's financial capacity.
Breakdown
live (Old English 'libban', to remain or dwell) + beyond (Old English 'be-' prefix + 'geond', to go through or across) + means (Latin 'medianus', middle, later extended to signify resources or wealth). The compound phrase structure conveys the sense of existing in a manner that surpasses one's available financial resources.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Sarah lives beyond her means by shopping at designer stores on a minimum wage salary.”
“He lived beyond his means for so long that his credit card company sent him a sympathy card.”
“The couple realized they were living beyond their means when their dog started giving them financial advice.”
“Living beyond your means is a fast track to debt and financial stress.”
📚Related Words
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