live rent free in someone's head

English

Verb

live rent free in someone's head (third-person singular simple present lives rent free in someone's head, present participle living rent free in someone's head, simple past and past participle lived rent free in someone's head)

1. Alternative form of live rent-free in someone's head.
   • 1989, Yellowed Pages - Volumes 19-20, page 216:

     Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despise live rent free in your head.

   • 1999, Michael Gerrish, When Working Out Isn't Working Out, page 62:

     If you take the bait, get mad at your friends, and begin to question yourself, you'll just have to live with your low self-esteem while they live rent free in your head.

   • 2013, Marina Pearson, Goodbye Mr. Ex, page 87:

     Your ex will also stop living rent free in your head as you will start to see him as he truly is, not just as you see him.

   • 2014, Doris M. Arwine, Sensitive to Listen and Willing to Obey, page 126:

     Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent free in your head.

   • 2015, Joey Reiman, Thumbs Up!: Five Steps to Create the Life of Your Dreams, page 178:

     And there's another benefit: That person is no longer living rent free in your head!

   • 2020, Jeremy J. E. Gordon, Our Star's Last Song, page 514:

     For ten years, guilt had been living rent free in his head, maybe now there was a chance to evict it.