overlive

English

Etymology

From Middle English overliven, from Old English oferlibban (“to survive”), equivalent to over- +‎ live. Cognate with Dutch overleven (“to survive”), German überleben (“to survive, outlive”), Swedish överleva (“to survive, outlive, outlast”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əʊvə(ɹ)ˈlɪv/

Verb

overlive (third-person singular simple present overlives, present participle overliving, simple past and past participle overlived)

1. (transitive) To survive; to live past.
2. (transitive) To outlive; live longer than.
   • 1624, John Donne, Meditation VII:

     [M]y disease cannot survive me, I may overlive it.

   • 1891, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 31, in Unknown to History: A Story of the Captivity of Mary of Scotland:

     "Her Majesty's life will never be safe for a moment while she lives; and what would become of us all did she overlive the Queen!"

3. (intransitive) To live too long.
   • 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Why do I overlive?
     Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out
     to deathless pain?

   • 1909, “"How Can He Do It?"”, in Notions and Fancy Goods, volume 43, page 30:

     The misguided youngsters are yachting, attending the races, playing the "stage Johnny," automobiling, playing poker for high stakes, overliving at home, on expensive shopping tours, attending box parties to the theatre, visiting high-priced restaurants, etc., etc.

4. (intransitive) To live too fast, too luxuriously, or too actively.

Derived terms

• overliver

References

• “overlive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• overveil