1
2
3
4
5

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective alive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of alive are awake, aware, cognizant, conscious, and sensible. While all these words mean "having knowledge of something," alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

alive to the thrill of danger

When could awake be used to replace alive?

In some situations, the words awake and alive are roughly equivalent. However, awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

a country always awake to the threat of invasion

Where would aware be a reasonable alternative to alive?

While in some cases nearly identical to alive, aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

aware of changes in climate

When would cognizant be a good substitute for alive?

While the synonyms cognizant and alive are close in meaning, cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

not fully cognizant of the facts

When can conscious be used instead of alive?

The words conscious and alive can be used in similar contexts, but conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

conscious that my heart was pounding

When is sensible a more appropriate choice than alive?

Although the words sensible and alive have much in common, sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

sensible of a teacher's influence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alive Suspicion soon turned to McArthur, who was the last person to see Wright alive. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 19 July 2025 The flood of programming from Chuck Lorre such as Two and Half Men and The Big Bang Theory kept the sitcom alive well past its sell-thru date. Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 Advertisement In the movie's final minutes, Ava reunites with Danica, who ended up washing up on the beach alive, and the two discuss the fact that Stevie apparently also survived her fall into the ocean, seemingly leaving the door open for another installment. Megan McCluskey, Time, 18 July 2025 With each passing day, however, the chance of finding someone alive dwindles. Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for alive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alive
Adjective
  • Under Proposition 309, voters casting mail-in ballots could provide a driver's license or non-operating identification license number, the last four digits of a social security number, or a unique identifying number provided by the secretary of state for voter registration purposes.
    Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2022
  • The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Adjective
  • While there have been no major reports of injury or illness to date, Hartford Bakery is aware of one customer who experienced digestive discomfort after eating the bread.
    Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
  • Be aware of how your body is feeling while playing, and don’t forget to drink a lot of water.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • An evening meet-and-greet at Little Bear Arena in St. Ignace will run from 6-8 p.m. with live music and a beer tent, per the visitors bureau.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
  • The news makes the series—based on Robyn Carr’s book series of the same name—Netflix’s longest-running live action scripted series, surpassing Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s Grace and Frankie and Orange Is the New Black, which each ran for seven seasons on the streamer.
    Charley Ross, Glamour, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Horton said summer is always the busiest, with the program planning several events each month to combat the rise in homicides and violent crimes as the weather warms.
    Keely Doll, The Courier-Journal, 23 July 2025
  • Ever since then, it’s been sitting on the shore, beached like a shipwreck, just feet from a busy highway.
    John Carlisle, Freep.com, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Hope Florida, the First Lady’s signature initiative, appears disorganized at best, with poor planning, incomplete records and no clear operational transparency.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
  • Consider traveling with a compact Starlink Mini, as satellite internet often remains operational even when other internet services are down.
    Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Look for Alphabet to deploy the Buy and Link defensive strategies — vacuuming up promising AI advertising startups and offering discounting and packaging deals to extant search customers that want to experiment with the Google AI advertising platform.
    Forrester, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • More broadly, the study invites comparisons between the megalodon and its iconic extant relative, the great white shark.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Character models in the distance no longer animate at a lower frame rate than those in the foreground.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • No matter its age and despite its survival being dependent on machines, just like its mother, the fetus is entirely animate.
    Lindsey Breitwieser, The Conversation, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, despite its thriving telenovela industry, and many promising starts (see: Charlie’s Angels and 8th & Ocean), Miami has spawned few successful television series outside the realm of reality TV.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
  • Careful attention to water needs is key to keeping 'Everest' Carex healthy and thriving.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alive. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on alive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!