living

living

I

liv‧ing¹ /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ adjective1. alive now
   OPP  dead:
    He’s one of the greatest living composers.
    The sun affects all living things (=people, animals, and plants).
    a living language (=one that people still use)
2. living proof if someone is living proof of a particular fact, they are a good example of how true it is
    living proof (that)
    I’m living proof that you don’t need a college degree to be successful.
    living proof of
    the living proof of government economic incompetence
3. in/within living memory during the time that anyone can remember:
    It was the worst storm in living memory.
4. a living death a life that is so unpleasant that it seems better to be dead
5. a living hell a very unpleasant situation that makes you suffer for a long time:
    These past few days have been a living hell.
6. living legend someone who is famous for being extremely good at something, and who still does that activity:
    His music has made him a living legend.
⇨ scare/frighten the (living) daylights out of somebody at daylight(3), ⇨ beat/knock the (living) daylights out of somebody/something at daylight(4)

II

living² S2 noun1. [countable usually singular] the way that you earn money or the money that you earn:
    It’s not a great job, but it’s a living.
    What do you do for a living? (=what do you do as a job?)
    earn/make a living
    It’s hard to make a decent living as a musician.
    scrape/scratch a living (=get just enough to eat or live)
2. the living all the people who are alive as opposed to dead people
   OPP  the dead
3. [uncountable] the way in which someone lives their life:
    the stresses of city living
4. [countable] the position or income of a parish priest
⇨ cost of living, standard of living, ⇨ in the land of the living at land¹(7)
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ earn/make a living She was able to make a living out of her talents as a cook.
   ▪ do something for a living (=to work at something as your job) 'What does he do for a living?' 'I think he's a taxi driver.'
   ▪ scrape out/scratch out/eke out a living (=to barely earn enough money to live) The farmers in these drought-stricken areas are barely able to scratch out a living.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a good/decent living (=enough money) Her husband makes a good living.
   ▪ a meagre living British English, a meager living American English (=not much money) She earned a meagre living as a shop assistant.