# alive

Pronunciation: US say "uh-LYV" /əˈlaɪv/; UK

## Adjective

1. Having life; living and not dead.
   - Simple: Still living and not dead.
   - _After three days lost in the mountains, the hiker was found alive._
   - _The ancient tortoise is still alive at over a hundred years old._
2. Still existing, active, in force or in operation.
   - Simple: Still going on, still working, or still being used.
   - _The old craft tradition is still alive in a few mountain villages._
   - _Negotiations remained alive despite repeated setbacks._
3. Lively, brisk, and full of energy.
   - Simple: Full of energy, lively, and active.
   - _He felt more alive than he had in years after the long hike._
   - _Her eyes were alive with curiosity throughout the lecture._
4. Full of activity, with many living beings moving about; swarming and busy.
   - Simple: Full of people or animals moving around.
   - _The forest was alive with birdsong at dawn._
   - _The streets came alive with crowds celebrating the festival._
5. Of all those currently living; used after a superlative for emphasis.
   - Simple: Of all living people, used to make a word like "best" or "happiest" stronger.
   - _At that moment he felt like the happiest person alive._
   - _Many consider her the greatest violinist alive._
6. Aware of something and responsive to it; quick to notice or feel it (usually alive to).
   - Simple: Knowing about something and ready to notice it, feel it or react to it.
   - _The committee was alive to the risks of acting too quickly._
   - _A skilled diplomat remains alive to subtle shifts in mood._
7. Connected to a source of electricity; energized.
   - Simple: Connected to electricity, so it could give a shock.

## Origin

From Middle English 'alive' (also 'on live'), from Old English 'on līfe', literally 'in life' or 'in (the) body', formed from 'on' (on, in) plus 'līfe', the dative of 'līf' (life). It replaced the older Old English 'cwic' (source of English 'quick'), and is comparable to Dutch 'in leven' and German 'am Leben', literally 'in life' and 'at life' respectively.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/alive (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).