survivor

Everyday

1. A survivor is a person or animal that stays alive after something dangerous, such as an accident, war, illness or disaster. tree →
2. A survivor is someone who keeps going strongly through hard times. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons we read about survivors of shipwrecks, wars and earthquakes, and stories told by survivors. In safety lessons, survivors are helped by rescue teams. In nature, survival of the fittest means the creatures best suited to their home survive. In stories the survivor is often the brave hero.

Examples

• Rescuers searched for survivors after the earthquake. tree →
• There were only a few survivors of the shipwreck. tree →
• She is a cancer survivor. tree →
• The survivor told reporters what happened. tree →
• Gran is a real survivor; nothing gets her down. tree →
• The last survivor of the old fort was a cat. tree →
• The last survivor, the bravest and strongest of the whole, had just force enough to wave his crimson sword over his head and give a shout of exultation, crying, "Victory! tree →

Note

Countable: one survivor, many survivors. Ends in -or, not -er. Related words: survive (verb), survival (noun). Survivor of something: a survivor of the flood.