1life 
/ˈlaɪf/ noun
plural lives /ˈlaɪf/ noun /ˈlaɪvz/ 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 [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] — often used before another noun ▪ 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 [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 — see also half-life, shelf life 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.
▪ He believes that God gives life to all creatures. ▪ the miracle of life ▪ eternal/everlasting life
b : the experience of being alive [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] — often used before another noun ▪ 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.
▪ 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
▪ 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]
▪ 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?
▪ 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.
▪ She wrote a life of Napoleon. ▪ Boswell's Life of Johnson
▪ He was found guilty and sentenced to life. = (informal) He got life. = He was given life.
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.
▪ 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.
▪ 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.
a matter of life and death
: something that is extremely important and often involves decisions that will determine whether someone lives or dies
▪ Being prepared for severe weather can be a matter of life and death. — see also life-and-death
▪ Being prepared for severe weather can be a matter of life and death. — see also life-and-death
a new lease on/of life — see 1lease
(as) big as life (US) or chiefly Brit (as) large as life
informal : 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!”
▪ “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.
▪ 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
▪ The story is about a mad scientist who tries to bring dead people back to life. — often used figuratively ▪ 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
▪ The story is about a mad scientist who tries to bring dead people back to life. — often used figuratively ▪ 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.
▪ 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 or sputter/roar (etc.) to life of a machine : to begin working
▪ The engine suddenly roared to life.
▪ The movie really comes to life when she appears on the screen.
▪ Downtown comes to life each night when the clubs open.
▪ The engine suddenly roared to life.
depart this life — see depart
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.
▪ 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.
▪ 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!
▪ 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
▪ 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.
▪ 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 — 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.
▪ His life depends on how he answers this question. ▪ He was studying as if his life depended on it. — often used in negative statements ▪ I wouldn't eat that food if my life depended on it. [=I would never eat it]
▪ His life depends on how he answers this question. ▪ He was studying as if his life depended on it. — often used in negative statements ▪ 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]
▪ 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.
▪ 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.
▪ They risked life and limb to pull the child from the river.
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
▪ 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]
▪ 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.
▪ He threatened to take his own life [=commit suicide], but no one believed him.
the life of the party (US) or chiefly Brit 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
▪ He believed that he would see his family again in the next life.
▪ He believed that he would see his family again in the next life.
the simple life — see simple
to save your life — see 1save
true to life — see 1true
