rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryekeManaging with difficulty
verb

eke

EEK/ˈik/

To obtain or sustain something with difficulty, usually with “out”.

The woman ekes out a meal from the last lentils and a little bread.

A woman ekes out a modest meal by scraping the last lentils from an almost empty cooking pot into a bowl beside a small piece of bread.
Etymology
ekeOld Englishto increase

The original meaning “increase” survives in “eke out,” making a limited supply last longer. That sense of stretching limited resources connects it to obtaining or achieving something with difficulty.

In context

KAIROS Canada35:11
our people were left to wander our people were left to eke out a living in the face of settlement
2021 Great Lakes /St. Lawrence Gathering: Furthering Reconciliation

More examples

  • The team eked out a narrow victory in overtime.
  • We eke out our savings until the next paycheck arrives.
  • The farmers are eking out a harvest from the dry soil.

Forms

eke · ekes · eked · eking

Similar words

scrape
With “by,” emphasizes barely managing, especially with little money.
subsist
Focuses on surviving with minimal food or other necessities.