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Suffix · forms adjectives

-lived

Describes how long something lasts: short-lived (lasting only a short time) versus long-lived (lasting a long time).

In Spanish: de vida / duradero / efímeroLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

What this suffix does

-lived forms compound adjectives that describe the duration or character of something's existence. Short-lived, long-lived, double-lived — at its core -lived answers the question: how long does this last? "Short-lived" has become one of the most common compound adjectives in English for describing anything that disappears or ends sooner than hoped. "Long-lived" describes endurance and persistence. The element derives from Old English "lif" (life), and the compounds carry genuine poetic weight when applied not just to organisms but to emotions, movements, alliances, and dreams.

How it is formed

Duration adjective + lived.

  • short + lived
    short-lived (lasting only a short time)
  • long + lived
    long-lived (lasting a long time)

This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.

How it is pronounced

-lived

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -lived
In a phrase
  • shortshort-livedTheir excitement was short-lived, the trip got cancelled the next day.
  • longlong-livedTurtles are known for being long-lived animals.
  • doubledouble-livedThe spy led a double-lived existence for years.
  • stillstill-livedThe old traditions are still-lived in small towns like this one.
  • hardhard-livedYou could tell from his face that he'd had a hard-lived life.

Common mistakes

short-lived is pronounced "short-livd"
short-lived is most often pronounced "short-LYVD" in American English

There is a long-running pronunciation debate about "short-lived." The historical pronunciation was "short-LYVD" (rhyming with "jived"), since the compound derives from "life" not "live" (the verb). In modern American English "short-livd" (rhyming with "givd") is also widely accepted. British English tends to preserve the original "LYVD" pronunciation. Both are now considered standard.

short-lived = of poor quality
short-lived = lasting only a short time, not necessarily of poor quality

"Short-lived" describes duration, not quality. A short-lived peace is not a failed peace — it is a peace that ended sooner than hoped. A short-lived career can be brilliant. The compound judges time, not merit. The sadness implied is about the ending, not about any flaw in the thing itself.

A trick to remember it

"Short-lived" is one of those compound adjectives that has crossed from literary into everyday language so thoroughly that speakers no longer feel its force. But when applied to abstract things — a short-lived hope, a short-lived revolution, a short-lived happiness — it recovers its poetic edge. The "-lived" suffix says: this thing was alive, it had a life, and that life was brief. That is a very different emotional register from simply saying "it did not last."

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "The enthusiasm for the new policy proved ___ — within a month, three ministers had resigned." (lasting only a short time, ending sooner than hoped)

Hint: Short + lived = having only a short life or duration.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"Long-lived languages tend to outlast the empires that spread them." What does "long-lived" mean here?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ face of the mountaineer seemed carved rather than grown — every line a record of altitude and cold." (shaped by a hard life; showing the marks of difficult experience)

Hint: Hard + lived = whose life has been difficult and physically demanding.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -lived mean in English?

The suffix -lived describes how long something lasts: short-lived (lasting only a short time) versus long-lived (lasting a long time). In Spanish it usually maps to de vida / duradero / efímero.

Can you give an example of a word with -lived?

"short" becomes "short-lived". It is a typical example of the -lived suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -long

    Means "lasting the entire ___": lifelong (lasting a lifetime) and daylong (lasting all day).

  • -time

    Forms compounds naming periods, moments, or eras with a distinct identity: lifetime, peacetime, wartime, pastime, overtime, daytime, nighttime, bedtime.

  • -worn

    Describes something worn down by time or use: timeworn (worn by time) and careworn (worn out by worry).

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

View all suffixes
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