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

Tutu Atwell, a former South Florida prep standout, lived off promise and potential most of his brief professional career. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026

In real space travel, however, or for anyone living off-world long term, coping with cosmic and solar radiation would be one of the most crucial considerations for survival. —Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026

Faber said the Avs live off their speed and creativity and playmaking ability, and the Wild simply gave them too much. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 5 May 2026

This way, there will be fewer homeless individuals living off the streets and sidewalks, as the people should know homelessness will never be eliminated. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 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