An Encylopedia Britannica Company

life

1 life /ˈlaɪf/ noun
plural lives /ˈlaɪvz/
1 life
/ˈlaɪf/
noun
plural lives /ˈlaɪvz/
Britannica Dictionary definition of LIFE
[noncount] : the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks
: the period of time when a person is alive
[noncount]
[count]
: the experience of being alive
[noncount]
[count]
often used before another noun
◊ 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.
[count]
: a specified part of a person's life
: a specified way or manner of living
◊ Your way of life is how you live your life.
[count] : the state or condition of being alive
[noncount] : living things of a specified kind or in a specified place
: the time when something can be used : the period when something exists or is useful or effective
[noncount]
[count]
see also half-life, shelf life
[noncount]
: energy and spirit
: activity and movement
[count] : a book that tells about the life of a person : biography
[noncount] : the punishment of being kept in a prison for the rest of your life : life imprisonment

a dog's life

see 1dog

a life of its own

◊ Something that takes on a life of its own becomes very large, important, or hard to control.

all walks of life

or every walk of life
see 2walk

a 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

a new lease on/of life

see 1lease

(as) big as life

(US) informal or chiefly British (as) large as life
: in person used to describe the surprise of seeing someone

bet/stake your life on

◊ If you would bet/stake your life on something, you are very sure that it will happen.

breathe (new) life into

: to give new energy and excitement to (something)

bring someone or something back to life

: to cause someone or something that has died to begin living again
often used figuratively

bring something to life

: to make something very interesting, appealing, or exciting

come to life

: to become very interesting, appealing, or exciting
of a place : to become filled with the energy and excitement of active people
of a machine or sputter/roar (etc.) to life : to begin working

depart this life

see depart

for dear life

: very tightly or quickly because of fear or danger

for life

: for the whole of your life : for the rest of your life

for the life of me

informal
: in any way at all used to say that you are unable to remember or understand something

frighten/scare the life out of

informal
: to frighten (someone) very badly

from life

of a painting, drawing, etc.
: from looking at an actual person, object, etc.

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

larger than life

see 1large

lay down your life

see lay down at 1lay

life depends on

◊ If your life depends on something, then you must do it.
often used in negative statements

lose your life

: to die

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.

not on your life

informal
used as a very forceful way of saying “no” or “never”

risk life and limb

: to do something that is very dangerous

save someone's life

see 1save

spring into/to life

see 2spring

staff of life

see 1staff

such is life

see 2such

take/claim someone's life

: to cause someone's death

take your own life

: to kill yourself

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

see 1light

the next life

or the life to come
: a life that is believed by some people to come after death

the simple life

see simple

to save your life

see 1save

true to life

see 1true
2 life /ˈlaɪf/ adjective
2 life
/ˈlaɪf/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of LIFE
always used before a noun
: of or relating to life
: done as long as a person lives : existing or lasting throughout a person's life