Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense survives, present participle surviving, past tense, past participle survived
1. verb
If a person or living thing survives in a dangerous situation such as an accident or an illness, they do not die.
They battled to survive in icy seas for over four hours. [VERB]
Those organisms that are that are most suited to the environment will survive. [VERB]
Drugs that dissolve blood clots can help people survive heart attacks. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: remain alive, live, pull through, last More Synonyms of survive
2. verb
If you survive in difficult circumstances, you manage to live or continue in spite of them and do not let them affect you very much.
On my first day here I thought, 'Ooh, how will I survive?' [VERB]
...people who are struggling to survive without jobs. [VERB]
Where once she had been totally self-sufficient, she now had to survive on incomesupport. [VERBon noun]
...a man who had survived his share of boardroom coups. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If something survives, it continues to exist even after being in a dangerous situation or existing for a long time.
When the market economy is introduced, many factories will not survive. [VERB]
The chances of a planet surviving a supernova always looked terribly slim. [VERB noun]
...surviving examples of 19th-century architecture in the Mid-West. [VERB-ing]
4. verb
If you survive someone, you continue to live after they have died.
Most women will survive their spouses. [VERB noun]
She is survived by two daughters from her first marriage. [VERB noun]
...William Shakespeare's last surviving descendant. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: live longer than, outlive, outlast, live on after More Synonyms of survive
More Synonyms of survive
survive in British English
(səˈvaɪv)
verb
1. (transitive)
to live after the death of (another)
he survived his wife by 12 years
2.
to continue in existence or use after (a passage of time, an adversity, etc)
3. informal
to endure (something)
I don't know how I survive such an awful job
Derived forms
survivable (surˈvivable)
adjective
survivability (surˌvivaˈbility)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Old French sourvivre, from Latin supervīvere, from super- + vīvere to live
survive in American English
(sərˈvaɪv)
verb transitiveWord forms: surˈvived or surˈviving
1.
to live or exist longer than or beyond the life or existence of; outlive
2.
to continue to live after or in spite of
to survive a wreck
verb intransitive
3.
to continue living or existing, as after an event or after another's death
Word origin
ME surviven < OFr survivre < L supervivere < super-, above (see super-) + vivere, to live (see bio-)
survive in Insurance
(sərvaɪv)
Word forms: (present) survives, (past) survived, (perfect) survived, (progressive) surviving
verb
(Insurance: Life insurance)
If you survive, you continue to live.
If the insured dies within the period specified, the policy is paid to the beneficiary,and if the insured survives within the period, the contract is terminated.
With term life insurance, no benefit is payable if the insured survives past the end of the term.
If you survive, you continue to live.
surviving
Examples of 'survive' in a sentence
survive
Tell me about the car accident you narrowly survived.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This is why people can survive without food for weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You either die or survive and live with the effects for the rest of your life.
The Sun (2015)
We have survived yet another day of reckoning.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Those who managed to survive times of war were subjected to cruel mistreatment in mines.
Christianity Today (2000)
We have had momentous days before and survived them all.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Therefore people owe the surviving dogs a comfortable future.
The Sun (2014)
Such an idea would hardly survive this vivid live performance.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But an aunt and another relative survived.
The Sun (2013)
So who is going to survive this time?
The Sun (2011)
The result was a mini revolution that survives to this day.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
How do people survive these awful times?
The Sun (2013)
Now people can live and survive on what may as well be the surface of another planet.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She was married three times and is survived by an adopted son and an adopted daughter.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Both bands have survived because people want to go to see them.
The Sun (2008)
County clubs continued to survive on subscriptions, waiting for the day that normality would return.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
At the age of 8 he survived a car accident that killed his father.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But given half a chance, life will survive and continue.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
His father was in a bed nearby, unlikely to survive the day.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was not expected to live but survived, though he cannot walk.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
If they are to continue to survive in the future, they may need a lot of luck.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
It did not seem possible they could keep playing the same way and survive for another 45 minutes.
The Sun (2011)
Will he survive the accident?
The Sun (2012)
One very exciting new approach to killing cancer cells is to try to inhibit this factor so that the cells cannot continue to survive and grow.
Laszlo, John (MD) Understanding Cancer (1987)
In other languages
survive
British English: survive /səˈvaɪv/ VERB
If someone survives in a dangerous situation, they do not die.
These drugs can help people survive heart attacks.
They were battling to survive in icy seas for over four hours.
American English: survive
Arabic: يَحْيَا
Brazilian Portuguese: sobreviver
Chinese: 存活
Croatian: preživjeti
Czech: přežít
Danish: overleve
Dutch: overleven
European Spanish: sobrevivir
Finnish: jäädä eloon
French: survivre
German: überleben
Greek: επιβιώνω
Italian: sopravvivere
Japanese: 生き残る
Korean: 살아남다
Norwegian: overleve
Polish: przetrwać
European Portuguese: sobreviver
Romanian: a supraviețui
Russian: выживать
Latin American Spanish: sobrevivir
Swedish: överleva
Thai: มีชีวิตรอด
Turkish: hayatta kalma
Ukrainian: виживати
Vietnamese: sống sót
All related terms of 'survive'
survive a battle
A battle is a violent fight between groups of people, especially one between military forces during a war.
survive a crisis
A crisis is a situation in which something or someone is affected by one or more very serious problems.
survive an attack
To attack a person or place means to try to hurt or damage them using physical violence .
survive the ordeal
If you describe an experience or situation as an ordeal , you think it is difficult and unpleasant .
survive the journey
When you make a journey , you travel from one place to another.
Chinese translation of 'survive'
survive
(səˈvaɪv)
vi
[person, animal]幸(倖)存 (xìngcún)
[custom]继(繼)续(續)存在 (jìxù cúnzài)
vt
(= outlive)[person]比 ... 活得长(長) (bǐ ... huó dé cháng)