alive

adjective

ə-ˈlīv 

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

Synonyms

• animate
• breathing
• live
• living
• quick

Choose the Right Synonym for alive

aware, cognizant, conscious, sensible, alive, awake mean having knowledge of something.

aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

aware of changes in climate

cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

not fully cognizant of the facts

conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

conscious that my heart was pounding

sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

sensible of a teacher's influence

alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

alive to the thrill of danger

awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

a country always awake to the threat of invasion

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Kenneth wants to go to the past to save his former girlfriend Belinda, but it’s discovered that Belinda is still alive. —Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023

But Katzir, who is 77, according to Israel's Hostages and Missing Families Forum, is alive, said the spokeswoman. —Chao Deng, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023

Among other things, Hamas had not provided any proof that the hostages were still alive. —Peter Baker, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023

Become a Subscriber André 3000’s intuition long ago earned him a claim to being one of the greatest rappers alive. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023

In harrowing stories told to local and international press, of kids snatched from their homes and sleepless nights spent wondering if relatives were still alive, the families appealed to the pathos of a nation particularly sensitive to the plight of hostages. —Claire Parker, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023

The two then discuss hacks on how to keep your tree alive as long as possible. —Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023

The appellate court agreed that Carpenter could not be prosecuted for actions and decisions made during pregnancy, but said she could be charged for actions taken after the baby was born alive. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023

Quieter than nearby Lake Como, Lake Maggiore has kept its identity alive despite being a popular tourism destination. —Vittoria Traverso, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English on life, from on + līf life

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing alive

• alive and kicking
• alive and well
• skin (someone) alive
• alive to
• bring (something) alive
• come alive
• burn alive
• eat alive
• more dead than alive

• alive and kicking
• alive and well
• skin (someone) alive
• alive to
• bring (something) alive
• come alive
• burn alive
• eat alive
• more dead than alive

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Kids Definition

alive

adjective

ə-ˈlīv 

1

: having life : not dead

2

: still in existence, force, or operation : active

kept hope alive

3

: extremely aware or conscious : sensitive

alive to the beauty of life

4

: marked by much life or activity

blossoms alive with bees

aliveness noun

Medical Definition

alive

adjective

ə-ˈlīv 

: having life : not dead or inanimate