live off

verb

lived off; living off; lives off

transitive verb

: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)

… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.

—Eyal Press

… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …

—Mark Carwardine

… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.

—National Wildlife

… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.

—Erika Hayasaki

Max lives off his father …

—Harold Beaver

Examples of live off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of you would have trouble living off of this amount; after rent, there would be little money left over for important things like food and utilities. —David Rae, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

Native people who followed the traditional lifestyle and who ate traditional foods generally lived much longer, healthier lives than those who had been put on reservations and had to live off of commodity foods. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

Residents also grew frustrated, as migrants reluctantly snared in endless court proceedings appeared to be gaming the system and living off the taxpayers’ dole. —Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024

Instead, Gronkowski lived off his endorsement money from brand deals with the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, T-Mobile, and USAA. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above