Phrase guide

eat to live, not live to eat

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

It is best not to be gluttonous; eating shouldn't be one's favorite activity, but one should eat only to supply health.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: imperative

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Often attributed to Socrates and Benjamin Franklin.