survive

survive — verb

1. To keep living or stay in existence after going through a dangerous or difficult

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

To keep living or stay in existence after going through a dangerous or difficult event, such as a serious illness, an accident, a war, or a time without enough food or money.

例句

Tariq survived the earthquake because he managed to run out of his apartment building before it fell.

survive + noun phrase (the threat)

After losing his job, João managed to survive on his savings for about five months.

survive on + noun phrase (resources)

同義詞
  • weather

    Suggests getting through a storm or crisis with some difficulty; slightly less formal and more metaphorical

  • endure

    Emphasises suffering or hardship over a long period rather than narrowly escaping death

  • make it through

    Informal phrasal expression, used in everyday conversation

反義詞
  • perish

    Formal or literary; means to die or be completely destroyed

  • die

    The direct opposite in most everyday contexts

文法句型

survive + noun phrase (the threat or event)

survive on + noun phrase (what sustains life)

survive (no object)

用法筆記

The threat or difficulty is usually placed directly after the verb without a preposition (survive the winter, survive a heart attack). To indicate the resources that keep someone alive, use the pattern 'survive on + noun' (survive on a small income).

常見錯誤

❌The old building survived from the earthquake.
✅The old building survived the earthquake.
💡'survive' is transitive here and does not need a preposition before the threat.
❌Sara survived of the accident.
✅Sara survived the accident.
💡'survive' is never followed by 'of'.

2. To stay alive after another person, especially a close family member, has passed

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

To stay alive after another person, especially a close family member, has passed away, often used when discussing how much longer someone lived.

例句

Christopher's mother survived his father by more than twelve years.

survive + person + by + time period

According to the family records, Esteban survived all three of his older brothers.

survive + person (family member)

同義詞
  • outlive

    Less formal and more neutral in emotion; the most common alternative

  • outlast

    Can be used for both people and objects; focuses on continuing existence rather than emotional loss

反義詞
  • predecease

    Formal term meaning to die before someone else; the direct opposite in structure

文法句型

survive + noun phrase (a person)

survive + noun phrase + by + time period

用法筆記

More common in formal or written contexts than in casual conversation. The person who is survived may be of any age, though the sense typically highlights a situation in which a normally expected order (older person outliving younger) is reversed or noteworthy.

常見錯誤

❌She survived her husband for 20 years.
✅She survived her husband by 20 years.
💡Use 'by' (not 'for') to state the length of time one person outlives another.