Meaning
“Live up to” means to act in a way that matches or fulfills expectations, standards, promises, or reputation. It often implies meeting the level of quality or responsibility expected by others or oneself.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Phrasal verb
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Form: live up to + noun/pronoun
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Pattern:
- live up to expectations
- live up to one’s promise
- live up to a reputation
It is generally intransitive, but always followed by “to” + object.
Common Phrases
- live up to expectations
- live up to the hype
- live up to one’s promise
- live up to a standard
- live up to a reputation
Collocations
- Verb + live up to: try to live up to, fail to live up to, manage to live up to
- Noun + live up to: promise, expectations, ideals, reputation, name
Examples
- He worked hard to live up to his parents’ expectations.
- The movie didn’t live up to the hype created before its release.
- She struggled to live up to her own high standards.
- The restaurant really lived up to its reputation for excellent service.
- The candidate failed to live up to his campaign promises.
- It’s not easy to live up to such a famous name.
- The concert truly lived up to what the fans had hoped for.
Synonyms or Related
- fulfill
- measure up to
- meet (expectations/standards)
- honor (a promise)
Antonym
- fall short of
- fail to meet
- disappoint