alive

alive — adjective

1. having life in your body and breathing — that is, the opposite of dead.

1.形容詞B1
釋義

having life in your body and breathing — that is, the opposite of dead.

例句

Nadia's grandmother is ninety-eight and still very much alive.

predicative use after 'be'

After three days under the rubble, the small dog was found alive.

passive: be found alive

同義詞
  • living

    can sit before a noun (a living animal); 'alive' cannot.

  • breathing

    informal; emphasises being physically active and present.

反義詞
  • dead

    direct opposite for people, animals, and plants.

文法句型

be alive

stay alive

keep someone alive

用法筆記

Only used after a verb (be, feel, stay, keep, find), never before a noun. For 'a living person', use 'living' instead of 'alive'.

常見錯誤

❌an alive fish
✅a living fish' OR 'a fish that is still alive
💡'alive' cannot sit directly before a noun.
❌She is a very alive woman.
✅She is very much alive.
💡'alive' takes a predicative position; intensify with 'very much', not just 'very'.

2. used about an idea, hope, tradition, memory, or chance: still going on and not y

2.形容詞C1
釋義

used about an idea, hope, tradition, memory, or chance: still going on and not yet ended or forgotten.

例句

The villagers work hard to keep their old harvest songs alive for the children.

keep [tradition] alive

Omar's hope of becoming a pilot stayed alive through years of rejection letters.

abstract subject: hope stays alive

同義詞
  • surviving

    stronger sense of having endured a threat.

  • active

    for ideas or movements that are being practised, not just remembered.

反義詞
  • dead

    informal opposite for hopes or chances ('the dream is dead').

  • extinct

    for languages, traditions, or species that no longer exist anywhere.

文法句型

keep [something] alive

be alive in [place/people]

用法筆記

Subject is typically an abstract noun: hope, dream, memory, tradition, chance, debate, language. Distinguish from sense 1, which always describes a living creature, not an idea.

常見錯誤

❌The old language is alive only in books.
✅The old language is kept alive only in books.
💡for traditions/languages, the passive 'be kept alive' sounds more natural than a flat 'is alive'.

3. feeling or showing strong energy, excitement, or interest — for example, eyes sh

3.形容詞B2
釋義

feeling or showing strong energy, excitement, or interest — for example, eyes shining, a face lighting up, or a room buzzing with talk.

例句

Bao only really feels alive when he is running through the forest at dawn.

feel alive (subjective experience)

Her eyes came alive the moment the band started playing her favourite song.

come alive (sudden burst of energy)

同義詞
  • lively

    can sit before a noun (a lively crowd); describes the same vibe but more steady, less sudden.

  • vibrant

    more formal; suggests bright, attractive energy.

  • animated

    describes face, gestures, or conversation that becomes lively.

反義詞
  • dull

    general opposite for energy in people or places.

  • lifeless

    stronger; suggests no spark at all.

文法句型

come alive

feel alive

alive with [noun]

用法筆記

Often pairs with the verb 'come' or 'feel'. Distinguish from sense 4, which describes a place crowded with creatures rather than a person or place full of emotion.

常見錯誤

❌He is an alive performer on stage.
✅He really comes alive on stage.
💡use the verb phrase 'come alive', not 'an alive person'.

4. used about a place that is packed with creatures that move around, or with peopl

4.形容詞C1
釋義

used about a place that is packed with creatures that move around, or with people busily doing things — for example, a pond crowded with frogs, or a market full of shoppers and stalls.

例句

In April the meadow was alive with butterflies, bees, and small yellow flowers.

alive with [creatures]

The rock pool was alive with tiny crabs darting between the seaweed.

alive with [moving things]

同義詞
  • teeming

    stronger; suggests a striking, almost overflowing crowd.

  • swarming

    often used for insects or fast-moving crowds.

  • buzzing

    informal; works for places full of people and noise.

反義詞
  • deserted

    for places empty of people.

  • lifeless

    for places empty of any living thing.

文法句型

alive with [plural noun]

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'with' plus a plural noun naming the creatures or moving things. Subject is the place, not the creatures themselves.

常見錯誤

❌The fish are alive in the pond.' (when meaning the pond is crowded)
✅The pond is alive with fish.
💡the place is the subject, the creatures follow 'with'.

5. noticing that something exists and treating it as important — used mostly in for

5.形容詞C2
釋義

noticing that something exists and treating it as important — used mostly in formal writing, with the preposition 'to'.

例句

The mayor seems fully alive to the dangers of building on the old riverbank.

alive to [noun]

Good teachers are alive to the small signs that a child is struggling at home.

alive to small signs that…

同義詞
  • aware

    neutral and far more common; takes 'of' instead of 'to'.

  • sensitive

    suggests responding with care, not just noticing.

  • attuned

    formal; suggests fine-grained, ongoing awareness.

反義詞
  • oblivious

    completely unaware; takes 'to' or 'of'.

  • blind

    figurative: refusing to see something obvious.

文法句型

alive to [noun/-ing]

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'to' plus a noun or -ing phrase. More formal than 'aware of' or 'sensitive to'; common in news writing, reports, and speeches rather than everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌She is alive of the danger.
✅She is alive to the danger.
💡the fixed preposition is 'to', not 'of'.
❌The team is alive that the deadline is tight.
✅The team is alive to the fact that the deadline is tight.
💡to take a clause, use 'alive to the fact that…'.