1 B1 informal
To be financially supported by another person, especially without contributing yourself.
"He's thirty years old and still living off his parents."
inseparable
live off
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To depend on someone or something as your main source of food, money, or support.
In plain English
To use someone or something to survive and pay for your needs.
What does "live off" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To use savings, investments, or passive income as your main source of financial support.
"After retiring early, she lived off the interest from her investments."
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
To eat only or mainly a particular food, especially by necessity or choice.
"During the camping trip, we lived off canned beans and dried fruit."
inseparable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To exploit or benefit repeatedly from a past achievement or reputation (figurative).
"The band had one big hit in the nineties and has been living off it ever since."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To draw sustenance away from a source — 'off' implies dependence or derivation.
Actually means
To use someone or something to survive and pay for your needs.
Usage tip
Can imply a negative judgment (living off others without contributing) or be neutral (living off the land). The line between 'live off' and 'live on' overlaps for food and money, though 'live off' more often implies a source/provider and 'live on' an amount.
Words that pair with "live off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
savings inheritance parents land benefits investments
How to conjugate "live off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
live off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lives off
he/she/it
Past simple
lived off
yesterday
Past participle
lived off
have + pp
-ing form
living off
continuous
Hear "live off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "live off"
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Keep exploring
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