alive

adjective

ə-ˈlīv How to pronounce alive (audio)
Definition of alivenext
1
as in breathing
having or showing life we were relieved to find that the little bird was still alive after crashing into the plate glass window

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in buzzing
marked by much life, movement, or activity the mall was alive with holiday shoppers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in operating
being in effective operation kept the cause of peace alive despite severe setbacks in relations between the two nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in existing
having being at the present time describes her boyfriend as the sweetest guy alive

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in aware
having specified facts or feelings actively impressed on the mind alive to the need for major improvements in the school system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective alive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of alive are awake, aware, cognizant, conscious, and sensible. While all these words mean "having knowledge of something," alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

alive to the thrill of danger

When could awake be used to replace alive?

In some situations, the words awake and alive are roughly equivalent. However, awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

a country always awake to the threat of invasion

Where would aware be a reasonable alternative to alive?

While in some cases nearly identical to alive, aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

aware of changes in climate

When would cognizant be a good substitute for alive?

While the synonyms cognizant and alive are close in meaning, cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

not fully cognizant of the facts

When can conscious be used instead of alive?

The words conscious and alive can be used in similar contexts, but conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

conscious that my heart was pounding

When is sensible a more appropriate choice than alive?

Although the words sensible and alive have much in common, sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

sensible of a teacher's influence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alive Golf can eat you alive but your next great round is always right around the corner. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025 Treks to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 2,088 acres near the border with Mexico, revealed an understory alive with even more birdsong, from the wo-woo-ooo of white-tipped doves to the CHA-CHA-LAC-A that gives that tropical chicken its common name. —Laura Mallonee, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025 Alex Wong/Getty Images A Maryland man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador is alive and still detained in the country, the Trump administration said in a filing to a federal judge on Saturday. —Chandelis Duster, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025 The team was made up of epidemiologists and physicians who focused on preventing babies from getting HIV from their mother and keeping children with HIV around the world alive and on treatment to suppress the virus. —Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for alive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alive
  1. operating
  2. aware
  3. live
  4. busy
  5. operational
  6. extant
  7. animate
  8. thriving
Adjective
  • Under Proposition 309, voters casting mail-in ballots could provide a driver's license or non-operating identification license number, the last four digits of a social security number, or a unique identifying number provided by the secretary of state for voter registration purposes.
    — Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2022
  • The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Definition of operating
Adjective
  • Gong and his family members are aware of the filmmakers, even mention the filming, yet remain largely unselfconscious in front of the cameras.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Our brains are aware of inconsistencies in the imagery at a detailed level, even if the exact nature of these inconsistencies eludes our conscious perception.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of aware
Adjective
  • Even successful American Idol winners suffer a few losses here and there, including country crooner Scotty McCreery's recent onstage fall during a live performance.
    — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • While many bars on the strip focus on country or rock, Dre and Snoop are adding hip-hop to the mix as the lounge will feature a rotation of DJs and live performances centering around rap, R&B and funk.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of live
Adjective
  • And while Christophe had been busy developing a national school system during his reign, under Boyer, and all subsequent presidents, such projects had to be put on hold.
    — Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Check-in is seamless, but the hotel has only six parking spots and availability may be limited, especially on busy weekends, so plan to park across or down the street just in case.
    — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of busy
Adjective
  • Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The data request, broken into two deadlines of April 18 and April 30, is the first major operational move since DeSantis’ executive order in February creating Florida DOGE, modeled after tech mogul Elon Musk’s controversial federal cost-cutting consultancy.
    — Garrett Shanley, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of operational
Adjective
  • Speaking to the Times, McAndrew cited the need to expand art sales beyond its extant core market; the report noted that the increase in low-dough sales highlights the importance of smaller galleries in doing so.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 8 Apr. 2025
  • But the potential credibility risks, while still extant, would surely be lower than with any deployment of land forces.
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of extant
Adjective
  • Charcuterie and cheese, potatoes and onions, meat and offal: These are the ingredients that animate Harris’s chalkboard menu, all old friends, treated with a grandmotherly mix of tenderness and brawn.
    — Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Your business should excite your customers, frustrate your competitors and animate and motivate your people.
    — Jeffrey Russell, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of animate
Adjective
  • Here, her thriving rose collection has been a project years in the making—the product of a small, gradual endeavor that soared to new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Since distancing from the royal family, Markle has been working on establishing herself as a thriving business woman.
    — Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of thriving

Phrases Containing alive

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a little
alive
aliveness
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Cite this Entry

“Alive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alive. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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