survive Definition
- 1to continue to live or exist, especially after coming close to dying or being destroyed
- 2to remain alive or in existence after a difficult or dangerous experience
Using survive: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "survive" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He survived the car crash with minor injuries.
Example
The company managed to survive the economic recession.
Example
The plant has survived for over a century.
Example
She barely survived the attack.
survive Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using survive
to survive a dangerous or difficult experience and be able to talk about it afterwards
Example
Despite the plane crash, everyone on board lived to tell the tale.
Example
The small business was fighting for survival in a highly competitive market.
Example
He survived the avalanche by the skin of his teeth.
Phrases with survive
a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory, referring to the idea that organisms that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce
Example
The concept of survival of the fittest is often used in business to describe competition between companies.
Example
The small business barely survived the first year, but it eventually became profitable.
Example
Many people in poverty survive on very little food and water.
Origins of survive
from Latin 'supervivere', meaning 'to live beyond' or 'outlive'
Summary: survive in Brief
To 'survive' [sərˈvaɪv] is to continue living or existing, especially after a difficult or dangerous experience. It can refer to physical survival, as in 'He survived the car crash,' or to the survival of a business or other entity, as in 'The company managed to survive the economic recession.' 'Survive' is often used in phrases like 'survival of the fittest' and idioms like 'live to tell the tale,' which means to survive a dangerous experience.
