live off

verb

lived off; living off; lives off

transitive verb

: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)

… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.

—Eyal Press

… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …

—Mark Carwardine

… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.

—National Wildlife

… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.

—Erika Hayasaki

Max lives off his father …

—Harold Beaver

Examples of live off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As civilians of the surrounding areas become displaced by the Fire Nation, more and more refugees, including Zuko and Iroh, who’ve been living off the grid, make their way to the capital. —Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026

The family is now living off-planet with a robotic assistant, in a scene inspired by Disney Legend and Imagineer John Hench, who helped create the original attraction. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 May 2026

For those with the means and the courage to live off-grid without Wi-Fi for a week, the Echo’s Antarctica journey is truly a trip of a lifetime. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026

Members of Congress are living off $174,000. —ABC News, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for live off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff