Phrase guide

live paycheck to paycheck

verb · 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /lɪv ˈpeɪtʃɛk tə ˈpeɪtʃɛk/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To have the entirety of one's earnings consumed by living expenses, thus having nothing left over to save; to make just enough (money, etc.) to survive; to scratch by.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A reference to a person fully expending the entire earnings of their paycheck and not having anything left prior to receiving their next paycheck.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: žít z ruky do huby — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Czech: žít z ruky do úst — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Finnish: elää kädestä suuhun — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • German: von der Hand in den Mund leben — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • German: sich von Monat zu Monat durchschlagen — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Hungarian: alig jön ki a fizetéséből — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Hungarian: hónapról hónapra él — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Polish: żyć od pierwszego do pierwszego — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Russian: жить от зарпла́ты до зарпла́ты (žitʹ ot zarpláty do zarpláty) — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Spanish: vivir al día — to spend all that one earns without saving anything
  • Spanish: vivir de cheque en cheque — to spend all that one earns without saving anything