Meaning & use
worth living
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
good enough or valuable enough to make continuing to live seem worthwhile.
Grammar: Comes after the verb be or another linking verb: life is worth living.
Patterns
- something is worth living
- a life worth living
After months of treatment, she finally felt that life was worth living again.
For him, music and friendship are what make each day worth living.
The support of her family convinced her that her life was still worth living.
phrasefixed phrase
used about a period or situation that makes the effort of staying alive feel rewarding.
Grammar: Often describes a time or place: 'It was a year worth living.'
Patterns
- a time worth living
- a year worth living
He described his retirement as the first year truly worth living.
They built a community where old age felt worth living, not just endured.
Common combinations
- life is worth living
- After the good news, she told everyone that life was worth living.
- make life worth living
- Small kindnesses from strangers can make life worth living.
- a life worth living
- He wrote a book about how to build a life worth living.
- still worth living
- Even in pain, she insisted her days were still worth living.
- feel worth living
- After the move, his life began to feel worth living again.
Synonyms and how they differ
- worthwhile
- Describes an activity or effort that deserves the time spent; it does not specifically mean that life itself is valuable.
- meaningful
- Focuses on having purpose or importance, which may be one reason a life feels worth living, but it is a broader word.
Opposites
Word family
- worth adjective
- Having a value equal to a stated amount or deserving something.
- worthwhile adjective
- Important or useful enough to spend time, money, or effort on.
- live verb
- To be alive or to spend your life in a particular way.
- living noun
- The way you earn money, or the state of being alive.
Commonly confused: worth living or worthwhile? worth living or worth living in?
worth living vs worthwhile
Worthwhile describes an activity ('a worthwhile trip'), while worth living describes life or a period of life as valuable enough to continue.
worth living vs worth living in
'Worth living in' describes a place ('a city worth living in'), but 'worth living' is about life itself.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'worth living' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Worth living' follows a linking verb such as 'was' and describes life or a period of life. Options An and C wrongly put it before a noun, and option D uses it as a main verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “worth living”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.