subsist on

IPA/sʌbsˈɪst ˈɒn/
IPA/sʌbsˈɪst ˈɔn/

subsist on — phrasal verb

  • subsist onbase form
  • subsists on3rd person singular
  • subsisting on-ing form
  • subsisted onpast simple

1. to manage to stay alive using only a particular kind of food, income, or resourc

1.片語動詞及物C1
釋義

to manage to stay alive using only a particular kind of food, income, or resource, especially when it is very little or of poor quality

例句

Yuna subsisted on rice and boiled greens during the long winter months.

subsist on + [basic food] over an extended period

Eli had to subsist on a tiny pension after the factory closed.

subsist on + [income] — financial survival

同義詞
  • live on

    neutral register; carries no implication of hardship

  • survive on

    suggests difficulty but is less formal than subsist on

  • get by on

    informal; implies barely managing, often used for finances

  • eke out a living on

    very close in meaning; emphasises painful effort to stretch minimal resources

文法句型

subsist on + noun phrase

用法筆記

Always followed by a noun phrase naming the resource relied upon. Formal register; in everyday speech 'live on' or 'get by on' are more common.

常見錯誤

❌She subsisted on.
✅She subsisted on bread and water.
💡'subsist on' must be followed by a noun phrase; the object cannot be dropped.
❌He subsisted with very little money.
✅He subsisted on very little money.
💡the particle is always 'on', never 'with' or 'by'.