偷生

tōushēng
to live without purpose

CEDICT

to choose to live on in disgrace instead of dying honorably; to drag out an ignoble existence

Wiktionary

苟且求生。《文选．李陵．答苏武书》：「子卿视陵，岂偷生之士，而惜死之人哉！」也作「偷活」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 偷 tōu
  1. to steal
  2. to pilfer
  3. to snatch
  4. thief
  5. stealthily
2 生 shēng
  1. to be born
  2. to give birth
  3. life
  4. to grow
  5. raw
  6. uncooked
  7. student

Containing this entry

忍垢偷生 rěngòutōushēng to bear humiliation to save one's skin (idiom)
忍辱偷生 rěnrǔtōushēng to bear humiliation to save one's skin (idiom)
苟且偷生 gǒuqiětōushēng to drift and live without purpose (idiom); to drag out an ignoble existence