Word
live down
Meanings
To stop being judged or remembered negatively for a past mistake or embarrassing event by behaving well over time.
Definition
To live down something is to make people stop remembering or judging you for a past mistake or embarrassing event.
To live down something means to recover your reputation after doing something wrong or embarrassing. It suggests that other people keep remembering the event, and you have to behave well for a long time to change their opinion. It is often used with mistakes, scandals, or humiliating moments.
Examples
- He never managed to live down the mistake he made on live TV.
- It took her years to live down that embarrassing photo.
- The company is still trying to live down last year’s scandal.
- I doubt he’ll ever live down the way he treated his teammates.
- She worked hard to live down her reputation as a troublemaker.