eke
Scrape by narrowly
Eke means to make something last by using it sparingly or supplementing it: She eked out her savings by taking odd jobs.
The phrase eke out a living describes barely scraping by, managing to survive through effort and frugality.
The word almost always appears with "out."
Continue to exist
- subsistMaintain minimal existence
- endureSuffer through without yielding
- persevereContinue despite obstacles
- sustainKeep something going continuously
maintain · outlast · weather · exist · persist · hang on · hold on · carry on
Deficient in quantity
- scantyInsufficient in amount
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
- bareLacking any covering
- paltryContemptibly meager
insufficient · inadequate · limited · modest · slight · marginal · subsistence · hand-to-mouth
survive
Continue to exist
- subsistMaintain minimal existence
- endureSuffer through without yielding
- persevereContinue despite obstacles
sustain · maintain · outlast · weather · exist · persist · hang on · hold on · carry on · struggle
meager
Deficient in quantity
paltry · insufficient · inadequate · limited · modest · slight · marginal · subsistence · hand-to-mouth · hardscrabble
augment
Increase in size
- supplementSomething added to complete
- add toInclude with existing
- top upAdd to restore fullness
pad · bolster · boost · enhance · increase · extend · stretch · fill out · round out · flesh out
scrape
Rub harshly against
squeeze · wring · extract · cobble · patch · stretch · manage · contrive · husband · conserve