生き残る|いきのこるikinokoru[4]nakadaka (mid-high)

Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto survive
    彼かれが生き残いきのこったということは注目ちゅうもくすべきことだ。↗
    That he survived was remarkable.
Conjugation
Dictionary form生き残る(いきのこる)
Polite (masu)生き残ります(いきのこります)
Negative (nai)生き残らない(いきのこらない)
polite (masen)生き残りません(いきのこりません)
classical zu / nu生き残らず・生き残らぬ(いきのこらず・いきのこらぬ)
Past (ta)生き残った(いきのこった)
polite (mashita)生き残りました(いきのこりました)
Past negative (nakatta)生き残らなかった(いきのこらなかった)
polite (masen deshita)生き残りませんでした(いきのこりませんでした)
Te form生き残って(いきのこって)
Potential生き残れる(いきのこれる)
Passive生き残られる(いきのこられる)
Causative生き残らせる(いきのこらせる)
Causative passive生き残らせられる・生き残らされる(いきのこらせられる・いきのこらされる)
Conditional (ba)生き残れば(いきのこれば)
tara生き残ったら(いきのこったら)
Volitional生き残ろう(いきのころう)
polite (mashou)生き残りましょう(いきのこりましょう)
Imperative生き残れ(いきのこれ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym生き延びるいきのびるNeutralNeutral. To survive when you should have died, or to live on longer; 「生き残る」 is more about being left alive after others die, or figuratively surviving competition.
  • Synonym残るのこるNeutralNeutral. To remain or be left over, of things as well as people; 「生き残る」 means staying alive, or figuratively carrying on in competition.
  • Synonym残存ざんぞんWrittenWritten/formal. Remaining or surviving; common in writing, while in speech 「生き残る」 is the usual word.
  • Synonym凌ぐしのぐWrittenWritten/formal. To get through hardship or to surpass, as in 「暑さを凌ぐ」; 「生き残る」 is about surviving.
  • Synonym生き抜くいきぬくNeutralNeutral. Overcoming hardship and living through to the end; 「生き残る」 leans toward remaining when others are weeded out.
  • Synonym生きながらえるいきながらえるWrittenWritten/formal. To go on living and live long; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
  • Related生存せいぞんWrittenWritten/formal. Existing or staying alive; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
  • Related生きるいきるNeutralNeutral. To live or exist — the broadest of these words; 「生き残る」 specifically stresses surviving.
  • Related死に後れるしにおくれるWrittenWritten/formal. To outlive someone you had expected to die first, often with a mournful note; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving a disaster.
  • Related永らえるながらえるWrittenWritten/formal. To live a long life; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
  • Antonym死ぬしぬNeutralNeutral. To die; the direct opposite of 「生き残る」.
  • Antonym滅びるほろびるNeutralNeutral. To go to ruin or perish; the opposite of 「生き残る」, which is about surviving.

Use 「生き残る」 for surviving a disaster or competition, often metaphorically as in 「業界で生き残る」. For escaping death pick 「生き延びる」, for living through hardship 「生き抜く」, for a long life 「ながらえる」; the opposites are 「死ぬ」 and 「滅びる」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 他ほかの者ものが死しんだ後あとも、死しなずに残のこる。比喩的ひゆてきにも多おおく用もちいられる。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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