to live like a monk
1
6.5
- idiom
:
vivir como un monje
- After losing his job, he decided to live like a monk, focusing only on the essentials and cutting back on expenses.
Examples
-
He lived like a monk.
-
Well, you can't live like a monk for the rest of your life.
-
And he lived like a monk in a back room of the store.
Fiction book (2001) -
I live like a monk in an abbey.
-
"When I find a real boyfriend, then I'll throw out everything and live like a monk.
Fiction book (1996) -
From the doorway: God, you live like a monk...
Fiction book (2002) -
"It would be altogether improper for me to lead in any entertainments of the social sort when the men you lead are all half-starved, and when you yourself live like a monk in that tent of yours." "President Davis's opinion of you is rather higher than Mrs. Chesnut's." Lee passed on Davis's compliment.
Fiction book (1992) -
To clear his mind and find peace, he chose to live like a monk, avoiding distractions and embracing a minimalist lifestyle.
-
While studying for his exams, she opted to live like a monk, limiting social outings and indulging only in necessities.
Antonyms
How Luxurious
15
7.7
- Slang
33
3.4
107
2.9
1
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'live' + 'like' + 'monk' yields 'live in the manner of a monk,' which clearly conveys a simple, disciplined, non‑luxurious lifestyle to a learner who knows the constituent words. The 'live like X' simile pattern is common across languages and follows normal English comparative structure, so a B1 learner would readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Live like a monk comes from the real life of monks, who lived with very few things, ate simple food, and followed strict daily rules. So, live like a monk means 'to live simply and avoid luxuries'.