1 (not used in the continuous tenses 不用于进行时) to be real; to be found in the real world; to live 存在；生存: Dreams only exist in our imagination. 梦境只存在于我们的想象中。Fish cannot exist out of water. 鱼离开水就活不成。

2 exist (on sth) to manage to live 继续生存: I don't know how she exists on the wage she earns. 我不知道她怎么靠她挣的工资生活。