Survival Skills Vocabulary

adjective describing how something is done without the use of tools or weapons

adverb modifying a verb to describe how an action is carried out

• The archaeologist carefully excavated the ancient artifacts bare handed to avoid damaging them with tools.
• He caught the fish bare handed while everyone else used fishing rods.
• I can't believe she took on that bully bare handed and won.
• She faced the challenges of starting her own business bare handed, without any outside help.

noun a person or thing that has been rejected or abandoned

verb to throw or fling something away or aside

• The sailor was cast away on a deserted island after his ship sank.
• She felt like she was cast away by her friends when they didn't invite her to the party.
• He was cast away by his girlfriend for cheating on her.
• The old traditions were cast away in favor of modern practices.

noun the act of pouring a liquid over something; drenching

verb to pour a liquid over; drench

• The firefighters were dousing the flames with water to extinguish the fire.
• I saw the kids dousing each other with water balloons in the backyard.
• We were dousing our burgers with hot sauce at the barbecue.
• She felt like she was dousing her emotions, trying to keep them under control.

noun a person who is strong and able to endure difficult conditions or situations

adjective able to endure difficult conditions or situations

• The hardy plant was able to withstand the harsh winter conditions.
• My hardy grandmother is still gardening at 90 years old.
• Those hardy hikers made it to the top of the mountain in record time.
• Her hardy spirit helped her overcome many obstacles in life.

noun a hollow place in a solid body or surface

verb to hide or conceal oneself, typically for a prolonged period of time

• The suspect decided to hole up in a remote cabin to avoid capture.
• Let's hole up in my room and watch movies all day.
• We should hole up at the beach for the weekend.
• After the breakup, she decided to hole up in her apartment and avoid seeing anyone.

noun a person who consumes food

verb the action of consuming food

• The man eating at the restaurant seemed to be enjoying his meal.
• I saw the man eating a burger at the park.
• Check out that man eating like a champ!
• The man eating away at his worries with each bite of food.

noun a flat structure made of planks or logs fastened together for floating on water

verb to travel on a raft

• The group of survivors built a makeshift raft to escape the deserted island.
• We grabbed a raft and went floating down the river for fun.
• Let's hop on the raft and cruise down the lazy river.
• His ideas formed a solid raft to navigate through the challenging project.

noun the quality or state of being self-reliant, relying on one's own abilities and resources

• Self-reliance is an important trait to develop in order to succeed in life.
• You gotta learn to rely on yourself, man. Self-reliance is key.
• Don't be so dependent on others, bro. You need some self-reliance.
• Just like a tree standing tall on its own, self-reliance helps you stand strong in life.

verb to continue to live or exist, especially in difficult circumstances

• In order to survive in the harsh wilderness, one must have knowledge of basic survival skills.
• I don't know how I'm going to survive this week without any coffee.
• I'm just trying to survive this crazy party without getting into any drama.
• Sometimes it feels like I'm just trying to survive this hectic schedule without losing my mind.

noun food and drink regarded as a source of strength; nourishment

• Sustenance is essential for the survival of all living organisms.
• We need to grab some sustenance before we continue our journey.
• Let's go get some grub for sustenance.
• Music is my sustenance, it feeds my soul.

noun a physical action or movement of keeping oneself afloat in water by moving the legs and arms in a controlled manner

verb to stay afloat in water by moving the legs and arms in a controlled manner

• The swimmer had to tread water for several minutes before help arrived.
• I'm just trying to tread water until I finish this project.
• I feel like I'm constantly treading water with all these deadlines.
• In order to survive in the competitive job market, you have to learn how to tread water and stay afloat.