riley
riley — idiom
1. spend your days in pleasant ease, with money for what you want and no real dutie
spend your days in pleasant ease, with money for what you want and no real duties or pressures to worry about
After Rodrigo sold his restaurant in Lisbon, he spent two years living the life of Riley by the beach.
form: living the life of Riley after a windfall
Reema joked that her cat was leading the life of Riley, sleeping on cushions and eating fresh fish every morning.
humorous use about a pampered pet
Owen retired at fifty and has been living the life of Riley on a small farm in Wales ever since.
The neighbours think Sayaka has won the lottery; she walks her dog at noon and lives the life of Riley.
Now that Eitan owns a country house and earns a steady income, he leads the life of Riley.
- live in clover
similar idiom for living in comfortable, easy conditions; slightly more old-fashioned
- live the high life
emphasises luxury and expensive activities more than the carefree mood of 'life of Riley'
- live in the lap of luxury
stresses wealth and material comfort; less about the relaxed, work-free feel
- scrape by
to manage on very little money — the opposite financial situation
- burn the candle at both ends
to live in an exhausting, overworked way — the opposite lifestyle
文法句型
lead/live the life of Riley
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the patterns 'live the life of Riley' (most common) or 'lead the life of Riley' (slightly more formal). The verb is almost always 'live' or 'lead', and the article 'the' is fixed — never 'a life of Riley'. Often paired with mentions of money, retirement, holidays, or freedom from work.