11 English Phrasal Verbs With ‘Live’

11 phrasal verbs with ‘live’ (with example sentences)

LIVE BY

1. To follow a set of rules.
   She lives by the rules of her family.
   They are the principles that he lives by.

LIVE DOWN

1. To recover from a negative or embarrassing event in your life.
   He shouldn’t have worn that ugly wig to the wedding. He’ll never live it down!
   She’ll never live down the time she drank too much at the office party! 

LIVE FOR

1. To really enjoy something or look forward to it.
   She lives for her summer holidays in Spain.
   John hates his day job and just lives for the weekend.

LIVE IN

1. To live in accommodation provided by, for example, a university.
   I think I’m going to live in next year. I’m not going to rent a flat privately.
   I think their nanny lives in. 
2. To spend a lot of time somewhere.
   He practically lives in his office!
   He spends so much time growing vegetables, he almost lives in the garden.

LIVE OFF

1. To survive by eating a particular type of food.
   When they were poor they just had to live off rice and pasta.
   My parents had their own farm. They lived off the land. 
2. To survive by using someone else’s money or support.
   He has never had a job. He just lives off his parents.
   She isn’t looking for work yet. She’s living off the money she inherited from her grandparents.

LIVE ON

1. To eat a lot of one type of food.
   When he was at university he lived on potatoes.

2. To have enough money to survive.
   I don’t think he earns enough to live on.
   They are living on a tight budget.
3. To not be forgotten, continue.
   The dog died ten years ago, but their memories of him live on. 

LIVE OUT

1. To continue to live for the rest of your life.
   Derek lived out his final years by the sea in Cornwall.
2. To fulfil a dream.
   John did finally buy that little house by the sea in Scotland. He lived out his dreams.
3. To live outside of a campus or university.
   Are you living in halls next year? No, I’ve decided to live out. 

LIVE THROUGH

1. To live at a time when things were very difficult.
   My grandparents lived through the recession. It was a difficult time.
   People who lived through that period of history suffered a lot. 
2. When someone (often a parent) has more interest in another person’s life than their own.
   It’s not a good idea to live through your children.
   Tom doesn’t seem to have any ambition anymore. He just lives through his son.

LIVE UP

1. To have a good standard of living or to do something extravagant.
   What is Sarah doing these days? Oh she’s living it up in London.

LIVE UP TO

1. To fulfil expectations.
   Tom is always trying to keep his parents happy, but he’ll never live up to their expectations.
   Yes, I feel sorry for Pete. His brother is so successful. He’s got a lot to live up to.

LIVE WITH

1. To accept or tolerate something.
   I’m not going to change the pink wallpaper. We’ll just have to live with it.
   Jane can’t have another operation on her foot. The doctor says she’ll have to live with it.
2. To live with someone that you are not married to.
   Pete is living with Lisa. Oh, I thought they were married.

Exercises: phrasal verbs with ‘live’

Written by Judith P.

— ESL Tutor