live up to: meaning and explanation
to live up to something is a useful phrasal verb to talk about your reaction to something, specifically to say whether it was better or worse than you were expecting or hoping.
There are a few ways you can use this (and similar) expressions, depending on how you feel:
The film didn’t live up to my expectations = the film was worse than I was expecting
The film lived up to my expectations = the film was as good as I was expecting
The film exceeded my expectations = the film was better than I was expecting.
You can also use this phrasal verb to ask someone what they thought of something, and how their opinion compared to their expectations. e.g. How was the meal last night? Did it live up to your expectations?
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Dictation #1
Accent: English (RP)
Dictation #2
Accent: Northern England
Only members can access this listening exercise – join MicroEnglish to access all exercises.
Already a member? Login here
Dictation #3
Accent: North America
Only members can access this listening exercise – join MicroEnglish to access all exercises.
Already a member? Login here
? ?
the concert the other day? Did it your ?
About the sentence
…the other day…
The other day is a really useful time expression which you can use when you want to talk about something that happened recently, but it isn’t important (or you don’t know) when exactly. e.g. Something strange happened to me the other day…
Photo by Ankit Sood on Unsplash
Last year opened mini exotic zoo park in our hometown. We are a bit disappointed when visited it. The exotic zoo didn’t live up to our expectations.
Good example Nazgul 🙂
The only change I would make is to say: “we were a bit disappointed” because you are talking about the past. Well done!
The exercise was very easy .It didn’t live up to my expectations
Sorry Labiba!
There’s a city famous by its dinosaurs footprints, but they didn’t live up to some people’s expectations.
A couple of days ago I watched the movie Escape Room, but it didn’t live up to my expectations
Question: Can I use the expression in simple present? About something that never lives up to someone’s expectation?
Great examples – and to answer your question, yes you can use it in the present simple. In fact, your first example would be better in the present simple: “the dinosaur footprints don’t live up to people’s expectations”.
Oh, now I see people using the expression in simple present hehe
Hi everyone! Cody here.
Well, answering the question: I’m venezuelan and although all the economic and politics problems we have ritgh now, Venezuela is also famous along Latin america because its beaches, and a lot of friends from others countrys, when they visited Venezuela fell in love with it. Beaches have really exceeded their expectations.
By the way talking about my yesterday dinner, that pizza didn’t live up to my expectations, when I opened the box, it was burned hahaha.