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Glite Dictionary
to live on memories

to live on memories

7.3
To feel comfort by remembering happy times from the past
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : vivir de recuerdos
  • After her husband passed away, she tried to live on memories of the happy years they spent together.

Examples

  • Many retired athletes live on memories of their glory days.

  • He didn't make new friends in the city and instead chose to live on memories from his hometown.

  • She lives on memories of her childhood.

  • He lived on memories after his wife passed away.

  • After her husband passed away, she tried to live on memories of the happy years they spent together.

  • He didn't make new friends in the city and instead chose to live on memories from his hometown.

  • Many retired athletes live on memories of their glory days.

Antonyms

to forget
∞ 1.0

Not remember something you should remember

to move on
670 3.1

To start the next stage or activity and stop focusing on the past

How Comforted

to live on memories
7.3
to reminisce
50 5.8
to remember
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

live on memories infinitive
lived on memories past
lived on memories past participle
living on memories present participle
lives on memories third person singular

Morphology

live + on + memory

The construction combines 'live' (to subsist) + 'on' (indicating source) with 'memories' as the source, so the meaning 'be sustained by memories' is directly inferable from the parts. Although the sense is metaphorical (emotional sustenance), this follows the common pattern seen in phrases like 'live on bread/money' and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the words will likely understand it.

Etymology

The phrase live on memories paints a picture of a person who lives by using old moments like food, so their memories keep them going. That's why it means 'to survive or find comfort by remembering the past'.