vivoter

Senses

1. 1.

   to get by, to scrape by

   to live poorly or modestly, making just enough to survive

2. 2.

   to muddle through, to make do

   to manage with difficulty using limited resources

Examples

• "Il vivote tant bien que mal avec son petit salaire."

  He gets by as best he can on his modest salary.

• "L'entreprise vivote depuis des années sans vraiment prospérer."

  The company has been muddling through for years without really thriving.

• "Elle vivote en donnant des cours particuliers."

  She scrapes by giving private lessons.

Usage

Informal and slightly pejorative. Common in spoken French. Often suggests a precarious or unsatisfactory state of affairs. The diminutive form of *vivre* (to live), emphasizing the idea of barely subsisting rather than truly living.