life
68 ENTRIES FOUND:
- life (noun)
- life (adjective)
- life–affirming (adjective)
- life–and–death (adjective)
- life–giving (adjective)
- life–or–death (adjective)
- life–size (adjective)
- life–sustaining (adjective)
- life's work (noun)
- life–threatening (adjective)
- life assurance (noun)
- life buoy (noun)
- life cycle (noun)
- life expectancy (noun)
- life form (noun)
- life history (noun)
- life imprisonment (noun)
- life insurance (noun)
- life jacket (noun)
- life of Riley (noun)
- life peer (noun)
- life preserver (noun)
- life raft (noun)
- life science (noun)
- life sentence (noun)
- life span (noun)
- life support (noun)
- life vest (noun)
- change of life (noun)
- fact of life (noun)
- good life (noun)
- half–life (noun)
- kiss of life (noun)
- long–life (adjective)
- love life (noun)
- pro–life (adjective)
- real–life (adjective)
- right–to–life (adjective)
- shelf life (noun)
- slice–of–life (adjective)
- still life (noun)
- true–life (adjective)
- whole life insurance (noun)
- attempt (noun)
- big (adjective)
- come (verb)
- dear (adjective)
- death (noun)
- depart (verb)
- dog (noun)
- end (verb)
- large (adjective)
- lease (noun)
- light (noun)
- limb (noun)
- lose (verb)
- matter (noun)
- party (noun)
- save (verb)
- simple (adjective)
- slice (noun)
- spring (verb)
- staff (noun)
- such (pronoun)
- that (pronoun)
- true (adjective)
- walk (noun)
- way (noun)
Britannica Dictionary definition of LIFE
1
[noncount]
:
the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks
-
He believes that God gives life to all creatures.
-
the miracle of life
-
eternal/everlasting life
2
a
:
the period of time when a person is alive
[noncount]
-
She knew what she wanted to do early in life. [=when she was young]
-
He became famous relatively late in life. [=at a relatively old age]
-
He became famous later in life. = He became famous in later life.
[count]
-
She was happy and healthy for most of her life.
-
The people in her family tend to have long/short lives.
-
I've known her all my life.
-
He is nearing the end of his life.
-
They spent their whole/entire lives in one town. = They lived in one town all their lives.
-
People can expect to change jobs several times in their life/lives.
-
They've been waiting their whole/entire life/lives for an opportunity like this.
-
This is the financial opportunity of his life. [=of his lifetime; the best chance in his life to make money]
b
:
the experience of being alive
— often used before another noun
[noncount]
-
What do you really want out of life?
-
He believes in living life to the fullest. [=in living a very full and rich life]
-
All this paperwork has made life much more difficult.
-
The details of everyday/ordinary life can be fascinating.
-
life in the city/country = city/country life
-
Sometimes life just isn't fair.
-
We can laugh at things in movies that would scare us in real life. [=in a real situation; in actual existence]
-
Oh well, that's life! [=bad things will happen, and you have to deal with them]
-
Despite the political upheaval, for most people life goes on as usual. [=the activities of life continue in the usual way]
[count]
-
What do you really want to do with your life?
-
Her children say that she has ruined their lives.
-
She talked about the men in her life. [=the men she has had a romantic or close relationship with during her life]
-
She has dedicated/devoted her life to helping other people.
-
All this paperwork has made my life much more difficult.
-
They're trying to get/put their lives back together. [=to begin living in a normal way after suffering loss, hardship, etc.]
-
She was the love of my life. [=the person I loved more than any other person at any time in my life]
-
I've never heard such a silly idea in all my life! [=at any time] = Never in my life have I heard such a silly idea!
-
They're old enough to run/live their own lives. [=to make their own decisions about how to live]
-
After all the problems they've had recently, they just want to get/move on with their lives. [=to continue living their lives in the usual way]
-
I'm not surprised that I didn't get the job. That's the story of my life. [=that's the way things usually or always happen in my life]
-
She told us her life story. [=she told us about many of the things that had happened to her in her life]
-
a lack of life experience [=experience and knowledge gained through living]
◊ If your life flashes/passes before your eyes or if your life flashes/passes before you, many memories from different parts of your life quickly appear in your mind one after the other.
-
Her life flashed before her eyes when her car was about to crash.
3
[count]
a
:
a specified part of a person's life
-
He talked about his life as an artist.
-
the social lives of college students
-
How's your love/sex life?
-
They had difficult home lives when they were children.
-
They are trying to keep their personal/private lives separate from their public lives.
-
the responsibilities of their family life
b
:
a specified way or manner of living
-
He lived/led a life of crime. [=he was a criminal]
-
They have lived/led sheltered lives.
-
He is trying to make a better life for himself and his family.
◊ Your way of life is how you live your life.
-
a fisherman's way of life
-
Most people don't approve of my way of life.
-
a traditional way of life
4
[count]
:
the state or condition of being alive
-
They spared the horse's life. [=they did not kill the horse]
-
She feels that her life is in danger. = She fears for her life. = She is in fear for her life. [=she feels that she is in danger of being killed]
-
She risked her life [=she did something very dangerous that could have resulted in her death] to help him.
-
She gave/sacrificed her life [=she did something that resulted in her death] for her country.
-
He was running for his life. [=he was running to escape from great danger]
-
He is fighting for his life. [=he is very sick or injured and may die]
-
A would-be assassin made an attempt on the President's life. [=tried to kill the President]
5
[noncount]
:
living things of a specified kind or in a specified place
-
There may be a great deal of animal/plant life still to be discovered in this region.
-
forest life
-
ocean life
-
Will we ever find intelligent life on other planets?
6
:
the time when something can be used
:
the period when something exists or is useful or effective
—
see also half-life, shelf life
[noncount]
-
battery life
-
the life of an insurance policy
-
They claim that using their product will extend the life of the car.
-
a warranty that is good for the life of the product
[count]
-
a product that extends the lives of the rugs/cars
7
[noncount]
a
:
energy and spirit
-
eyes full of life
-
(informal) suck the life out of a room [=take all the fun and energy out of a group of people in a room]
b
:
activity and movement
-
The streets were humming with life. [=the streets were filled with people and activity]
-
There were no signs of life in the deserted village.
8
[count]
:
a book that tells about the life of a person
:
biography
-
She wrote a life of Napoleon.
-
Boswell's Life of Johnson
9
[noncount]
:
the punishment of being kept in a prison for the rest of your life
:
life imprisonment
-
He was found guilty and sentenced to life. = (informal) He got life. = He was given life.
a dog's life
a life of its own
◊ Something that takes on a life of its own becomes very large, important, or hard to control.
-
The project soon took on a life of its own and prevented us from getting any other work done.
-
The story took on a life of its own and began to appear on news broadcasts everywhere.
all walks of life
or every walk of lifea matter of life and death
:
something that is extremely important and often involves decisions that will determine whether someone lives or dies
—
see also life-and-death
-
Being prepared for severe weather can be a matter of life and death.
a new lease on/of life
(as) big as life
(US) informal or chiefly British (as) large as life
:
in person
— used to describe the surprise of seeing someone
-
I never expected her to come to the party, but there she was, as big as life.
bet/stake your life on
◊ If you would bet/stake your life on something, you are very sure that it will happen.
-
“Will she keep her promise?” “I'd bet/stake my life on it!”
breathe (new) life into
:
to give new energy and excitement to (something)
-
She is credited with breathing new life into contemporary art.
-
The singer managed to breathe life into some tired old songs.
bring someone or something back to life
:
to cause someone or something that has died to begin living again
— often used figuratively
-
The story is about a mad scientist who tries to bring dead people back to life.
-
They're trying to bring the restaurant back to life by introducing a new menu.
-
an old theory that is being brought back to life
bring something to life
:
to make something very interesting, appealing, or exciting
-
She brings history to life with her books.
come to life
1
:
to become very interesting, appealing, or exciting
-
The movie really comes to life when she appears on the screen.
2
of a place
:
to become filled with the energy and excitement of active people
-
Downtown comes to life each night when the clubs open.
3
of a machine
or
sputter/roar (etc.) to life
:
to begin working
-
The engine suddenly roared to life.
depart this life
for dear life
:
very tightly or quickly because of fear or danger
-
He was hanging/holding on to the rope for dear life.
-
They were running for dear life to get away from the vicious dogs.
for life
:
for the whole of your life
:
for the rest of your life
-
They met in college and have remained friends for life.
-
He was sentenced to prison for life.
for the life of me
informal
:
in any way at all
— used to say that you are unable to remember or understand something
-
I couldn't for the life of me remember what her name was.
-
For the life of me, I can't think of any reasons why you wouldn't want a computer at home.
frighten/scare the life out of
informal
:
to frighten (someone) very badly
-
You (nearly) scared the life out of me when you startled me like that!
from life
of a painting, drawing, etc.
:
from looking at an actual person, object, etc.
-
drawings done from life rather than from photographs
get a life
informal
:
to stop spending time doing or thinking about things that are not important or interesting
:
to begin to have a more interesting or exciting life
-
My girlfriend's parents are nice people, but all they do is watch TV all day. They need to get a life.
larger than life
lay down your life
life depends on
◊ If your life depends on something, then you must do it.
-
His life depends on how he answers this question.
-
He was studying as if his life depended on it.
-
I wouldn't eat that food if my life depended on it. [=I would never eat it]
lose your life
:
to die
-
She nearly lost her life in a car accident.
-
Many lives were lost. [=many people died]
new life
◊ When something takes on (a) new life or when you give something new life or give new life to something, it becomes more active, interesting, etc.
-
Plain old mashed potatoes take on a new life in this recipe.
-
Falling interest rates gave new life to the housing market.
not on your life
informal
— used as a very forceful way of saying “no” or “never”
-
Do the government's policies really help the average worker? Not on your life.
risk life and limb
:
to do something that is very dangerous
-
They risked life and limb to pull the child from the river.
save someone's life
spring into/to life
staff of life
such is life
take/claim someone's life
:
to cause someone's death
-
Two years ago he was diagnosed with the illness that eventually took his life.
-
The flood claimed many lives. [=caused the deaths of many people]
take your own life
:
to kill yourself
-
He threatened to take his own life [=commit suicide], but no one believed him.
the life of the party
(US) or chiefly British the life and soul of the party
:
someone who is very lively and amusing at a party or other social gathering
the light of your life
the next life
or the life to come
:
a life that is believed by some people to come after death
-
He believed that he would see his family again in the next life.
the simple life
to save your life
true to life
—
see also fact of life, good life, slice-of-life, still life
2
life
/ˈlaɪf/
adjective
2
life
/ˈlaɪf/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of LIFE
always used before a noun
1
:
of or relating to life
-
the life force in all things
2
:
done as long as a person lives
:
existing or lasting throughout a person's life
-
a life [=lifelong] member
-
my life savings [=all the money I have saved in my life]
-
He was given a life sentence in prison.
