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live down

B2 informal transitive

To escape the embarrassment or shame of a past mistake, usually after a long time.

In plain English

To stop being teased or judged for something embarrassing you did.

What does "live down" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To succeed in making people forget an embarrassing or shameful past event, usually after a long time — most commonly used in the negative.

"He tripped on stage at the school play and never lived it down — people still bring it up ten years later."

separable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To push something downward into obscurity — 'down' implies suppressing or burying the memory.

Actually means

To stop being teased or judged for something embarrassing you did.

Usage tip

Almost always used in the negative ('never live it down', 'can't live it down'), implying the embarrassment will last forever. The object is typically the embarrassing event.

Words that pair with "live down"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

mistake embarrassment incident gaffe failure reputation

How to conjugate "live down"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
live down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lives down
he/she/it
Past simple
lived down
yesterday
Past participle
lived down
have + pp
-ing form
living down
continuous

Hear "live down" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "live down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "live down"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

get over outlive overcome put behind oneself shake off

Keep exploring

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