1
: having life : not dead or inanimate
2
a
: still in existence, force, or operation : active
kept hope alive
b
: still active in competition with a chance of victory
must win to stay alive in the playoffs
3
: knowing or realizing the existence of something : sensitive
alive to the danger
4
: marked by alertness, energy, or briskness
his face came alive at the mention of food
5
: marked by much life, animation, or activity : swarming
streets alive with traffic
6
—used as an intensive following the noun
the proudest boy alive
aliveness
noun
Examples of alive in a Sentence
It feels great to be alive.
The patient was barely alive.
The sheriff was ordered to find the killer and bring him back alive.
He managed to stay alive for a week without any food.
The patient is being kept alive by artificial means.
an old tradition that is still alive
We need to keep hope alive.
The team needs to win tonight in order to stay alive in the play-offs.
I love to sail because it makes me feel so alive.
Recent Examples on the Web
With each passing day, however, the chance of finding someone alive dwindles.
—
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Some settings just need a little more set-up and context to be truly brought alive on the page than others.
—Lidija Hilje
july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
Though the first women to cast their ballots in Colonial America didn’t live to see their peers regain the right to vote, suffragist leaders like Stanton and Anthony kept these trailblazers' memory alive into the 20th century.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2025
With more than 1,000 coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, readers appreciate the abundance of overwater villas at Maldivian resorts, bioluminescent beaches, and world-class snorkeling in coral reefs alive with manta rays and reef sharks.
—John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for alive
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Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Some settings just need a little more set-up and context to be truly brought alive on the page than others.
—Lidija Hilje
july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
Though the first women to cast their ballots in Colonial America didn’t live to see their peers regain the right to vote, suffragist leaders like Stanton and Anthony kept these trailblazers' memory alive into the 20th century.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2025
With more than 1,000 coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, readers appreciate the abundance of overwater villas at Maldivian resorts, bioluminescent beaches, and world-class snorkeling in coral reefs alive with manta rays and reef sharks.
—John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for alive
Cite this Entry
“Alive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alive. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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Medical Definition
alive
adjective
: having life : not dead or inanimate
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