Meaning & use
subsist
To survive with only the most basic necessities, especially food.
See it in a sentence
The remote mountain village subsisted mainly on fish and wild rice.
During the drought, many families subsisted on aid from relief agencies.
A note on using this word
Subsist emphasizes bare survival at a minimal level, unlike 'live,' which carries no implication of hardship.
Words with a similar meaning
surviveendure
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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