Synonyms of living

living 1 of 3

adjective

ˈli-viŋ 

1

as in operating

being in effective operation

a living tradition of the holiday season

a living culture that has survived a number of foreign invasions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• operating
• operational
• operative
• functioning
• live
• working
• running
• going
• active
• on
• in force
• alive
• functional
• operable
• in commission
• on line
• viable
• in gear
• effective
• producing
• serving
• employable
• performing
• flourishing
• effectual
• useful
• usable
• productive
• workable
• busy
• thriving
• humming
• yielding
• dynamic
• bustling
• astir
• roaring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dead
• broken
• inactive
• inoperative
• nonfunctioning
• nonfunctional
• nonoperative
• useless
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• nonactivated
• nonoperational
• nonoperating
• arrested
• idle
• dormant
• unusable
• kaput
• decommissioned
• inert
• deactivated
• unworkable
• quiescent
• fallow
• lifeless
• sleepy
• asleep
• inoperable
• latent
• unproductive
• nonproductive
• stagnating
• vegetating

2

as in existing

having being at the present time

there are fewer than a dozen living former presidents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• existing
• extant
• existent
• alive
• operating
• active
• functioning
• around
• busy
• working
• flourishing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dead
• extinct
• destroyed
• gone
• defunct
• lost
• departed
• nonextant
• nonexistent
• exterminated
• idle
• inactive
• inert
• kaput

3

as in breathing

having or showing life

is your hamster still living?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• breathing
• alive
• live
• animate
• active
• surviving
• thriving
• lively
• animated
• dynamic
• existing
• quick
• vibrant
• current
• going
• existent
• prevailing
• extant
• vigorous
• vital
• vivacious
• resurrected

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dead
• deceased
• dying
• cold
• inanimate
• nonliving
• departed
• lifeless
• expired
• asleep
• defunct
• breathless
• fading
• moribund
• resting
• stillborn
• gone
• absent
• ghostly
• extinct
• nonexistent
• finished
• vanished
• terminated
• fallen
• wiped out
• lost
• ghostlike
• barren
• lapsed
• desert
• reposing
• zombielike
• ghosty
• perished

4

as in realistic

closely resembling the object imitated

an outdoor museum that is a living re-creation of a typical New England village circa 1840

Synonyms & Similar Words

• realistic
• natural
• naturalistic
• near
• three-dimensional
• like
• comparable
• similar
• lifelike
• vivid
• graphic
• true
• compelling
• matching
• convincing
• accurate
• photo-realistic
• alike
• faithful
• close
• analogous
• resembling
• akin
• approximate
• expressive
• verisimilar
• gritty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unlike
• unnatural
• unrealistic
• dissimilar
• off
• different
• incomparable
• unmatched
• disparate
• nonnatural
• contrasting
• nonrealistic
• mock
• fake
• phony
• unalike
• sham
• contrasted

living

2 of 3

noun

as in livelihood

Related Words

• livelihood
• work
• employment
• occupation
• business
• enterprise
• profession
• vocation
• calling
• trade
• field
• game
• racket
• art
• mission
• lay
• lifework
• métier
• office
• engagement
• situation
• assignment
• line
• gig
• call
• craft
• position
• job
• place
• handicraft
• task
• function
• duty
• handcraft
• post
• load
• workload
• appointment
• billet
• berth

Dissimilar Words

• pursuit
• hobby
• avocation

living

3 of 3

verb

present participle of live

1

as in residing

to have a home

he lives next door to the hospital

Synonyms & Similar Words

• residing
• dwelling
• staying
• abiding
• inhabiting
• occupying
• visiting
• lodging
• haunting
• cohabiting
• hanging (at)
• settling
• frequenting
• renting
• populating
• subletting
• leasing
• peopling
• tenanting

2

as in being

to have life

Socrates was a philosopher who lived in ancient Greece

Synonyms & Similar Words

• being
• existing
• breathing
• ruling
• subsisting
• surviving
• continuing
• kicking
• enduring
• flourishing
• keeping (on)
• lasting
• abiding
• leading
• moving
• persisting
• holding on
• running on
• thriving
• prospering
• holding up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dying
• departing
• perishing
• succumbing
• vanishing
• disappearing
• expiring
• passing away
• evaporating
• ending
• stopping
• ceasing
• dying (down)
• quitting
• discontinuing
• subsiding
• moderating
• waning
• ebbing
• abating
• desisting
• letting up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of living

Adjective

While plastic borders have gained popularity over the years for their practicality, many gardeners are now gravitating towards living borders consisting of plants, which offer a more natural look and can provide additional benefits, such as habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 June 2026

How to find a co-living space Two platforms are commonly used by people exploring the model. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026

Noun

From its inception, Veterans Stadium was intended to be a monument for the people of Long Beach, living and dead. — Kate Raphael, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Nearly a quarter of Ivorians – between 6 and 8 million people – rely on the cocoa industry for their living. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026

Verb

There was a lot to be gained by doing adult films with the rise of VHS and the democratization of pornography, people being able to watch it in their living rooms. — Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026

With the cost of living at the center of many voters’ minds in a midterm election year, political ramifications could mount for the Republican president in the coming months. — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026