outlive — to live longer than someone else, or to continue to exist or be useful after a particular point
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to live longer than someone else, or to continue to exist or be useful after a particular point
Pronunciation (IPA): /aʊtˈlɪv/
Example Sentences
- The turtle outlived three generations of the family that owned it.
- My grandmother joked that she would outlive us all if we kept stressing her out.
- According to the civil service reform proposal, outdated regulations that have outlived their purpose should be abolished.
outlive
VERB[/aʊtˈlɪv/]
to live longer than someone else, or to continue to exist or be useful after a particular point
The ancient tortoise will outlive every visitor who comes to see him today.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Outlive originates from Old English, combining the prefix 'out-' (meaning beyond or surpassing) with the verb 'live' (to remain alive). The word developed from the literal sense of extending one's lifespan beyond another's to mean surviving longer than someone or something, or enduring beyond a specified duration.
Breakdown
out- (beyond, surpass) + live (remain alive, exist). The prefix 'out-' combines with action verbs to denote exceeding or surpassing in Old English tradition (compare outrun, outgrow).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The turtle outlived three generations of the family that owned it.”
“My grandmother joked that she would outlive us all if we kept stressing her out.”
“According to the civil service reform proposal, outdated regulations that have outlived their purpose should be abolished.”
“He joked that his old smartphone would outlive him, since it still worked after being dropped a hundred times.”
“The ancient monument has outlived countless empires and still stands today.”
📚Related Words
Antonyms
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