the living

the living — idiom

1. all people who are currently alive, especially when they are spoken of together

1.慣用語B2
釋義

all people who are currently alive, especially when they are spoken of together with or in contrast to those who have died.

例句

Hao lit a candle for the living and another for the dead.

often paired or contrasted with 'the dead'

After the earthquake, rescue teams searched for survivors among the living.

同義詞
  • the survivors

    narrower — only those who lived through a specific event

  • the quick

    archaic or biblical; rarely used in modern English

反義詞

用法筆記

Always takes the definite article 'the' and functions as a plural noun. Most commonly appears alongside or in contrast with 'the dead.'

常見錯誤

❌Living gathered in the square to protest.
✅The living gathered in the square to protest.
💡this phrase always needs the article 'the.'
❌He works hard for the living.' (when meaning to earn money)
✅He works hard for a living.
💡'the living' means people who are alive; use 'a living' for one's income.