Life is the quality which people, animals, and plants have when they are not dead, andwhich objects and substances do not have.
...a baby's first minutes of life.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life.
...the earth's supply of life-giving oxygen.
Synonyms: being, existence, living, breath More Synonyms of life
2. uncountable noun
You can use life to refer to things or groups of things which are alive.
Is there life on Mars?
The book includes some useful facts about animal and plant life.
Synonyms: living things, creatures, wildlife, organisms More Synonyms of life
3. countable noun [usually poss NOUN]
If you refer to someone's life, you mean their state of being alive, especially when there is a risk or danger of them dying.
Your life is in danger.
A nurse began to try to save his life.
The intense fighting is reported to have claimed many lives.
4. countable noun
Someone's life is the period of time during which they are alive.
He spent the last fourteen years of his life in retirement. [+ in]
For the first time in his life he regretted that he had no faith.
Synonyms: existence, being, lifetime, time More Synonyms of life
5. countable noun [usually poss NOUN]
You can use life to refer to a period of someone's life when they are in a particular situation orjob.
Interior designers spend their working lives keeping up to date with the latest trends.
That was the beginning of my life in the television business. [+ in]
6. countable noun
You can use life to refer to particular activities which people regularly do during their lives.
My personal life has had to take second place to my career.
Most diabetics have a normal sex life.
7. uncountable noun
You can use life to refer to the events and experiences that happen to people while they are alive.
Life won't be dull!
It's the people with insecurities who make life difficult.
...the sort of life we can only fantasise about living.
8. uncountable noun
If you know a lot about life, you have gained many varied experiences, for example by travelling a lot and meeting different kinds of people.
I was 19 and too young to know much about life.
I needed some time off from education to experience life.
9. uncountable noun
You can use life to refer to the things that people do and experience that are characteristic of aparticular place, group, or activity.
How did you adjust to college life?
...the culture and life of north Africa. [+ of]
He abhors the wheeling-and-dealing associated with conventional political life.
Synonyms: way of life, situation, conduct, behaviour More Synonyms of life
10. uncountable noun
A person, place, book, or film that is full of life gives an impression of excitement, energy, or cheerfulness.
[approval]
The town itself was full of life and character.
The rejection of the Jewish theme meant the rejection of everything that gave thescript passion and life.
He's sucked the life out of her.
Synonyms: spirit, heart, soul, essence More Synonyms of life
11. countable noun [oft NOUNof noun]
A life of a person is a book or film which tells the story of their life.
A life of John Paul Jones had long interested him.
12. uncountable noun
If someone is sentenced to life, they are sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of their life or for a very long time.
[informal]
He could get life in prison, if convicted.
13. countable noun [with poss]
The life of something such as a machine, organization, or project is the period of time thatit lasts for.
The repairs did not increase the value or the life of the equipment. [+ of]
Synonyms: period of usefulness, existence, duration More Synonyms of life
14. uncountable noun
In art, life refers to the producing of drawings, paintings, or sculptures that represent actual people, objects, or places, rather than images from the artist's imagination.
...learning to draw from life.
She had once posed for Life classes when she was an art student.
15.
See be one's life
16.
See bring sth to life/come to life
17.
See come to life
18.
See life after death
19.
See fight for one's life
20.
See for life
21.
See for the life of me
22.
See for one's life/for dear life
23.
See live life to the full
24.
See get a life
25.
See life goes on
26.
See have a life
27.
See in sb's life
28.
See in all my life
29.
See the fright of your life
30.
See larger than life
31.
See to lay down your life
32.
See to risk life and limb
33.
See new life
34.
See not on your life
35.
See live one's own life
36.
See rule one's life
37.
See to save one's life
38.
See the life and soul of the party
39.
See start life
40.
See take sb's life
41.
See that's life
42.
See come to life/spring to life/roar into life
43.
See what a life
44.
See life isn't worth living/makes life worth living
45. See also fact of life, kiss of life
46. a matter of life and death
47. a new lease of life
48. to have the time of your life
49. true to life
More Synonyms of life
life in British English
(laɪf)
nounWord forms: plurallives (laɪvz)
1.
the state or quality that distinguishes living beings or organisms from dead onesand from inorganic matter, characterized chiefly by metabolism, growth, and the ability to reproduce and respond to stimuli
▶ Related adjectives: animate, vital
2.
the period between birth and death
3.
a living person or being
to save a life
4.
the time between birth and the present time
5.
a.
the remainder or extent of one's life
b.
(as modifier)
a life sentence
life membership
life subscription
life work
6. short for life imprisonment
7.
the amount of time that something is active or functioning
the life of a battery
8.
a present condition, state, or mode of existence
my life is very dull here
9.
a.
a biography
b.
(as modifier)
a life story
10.
a.
a characteristic state or mode of existence
town life
b.
(as modifier)
life style
11.
the sum or course of human events and activities
12.
liveliness or high spirits
full of life
13.
a source of strength, animation, or vitality
he was the life of the show
14.
all living things, taken as a whole
there is no life on Mars
plant life
15.
sparkle, as of wines
16.
strong or high flavour, as of fresh food
17. (modifier) arts
drawn or taken from a living model
life drawing
a life mask
18. physics another name for lifetime
19.
(in certain games) one of a number of opportunities of participation
20. as large as life
21. larger than life
22. come to life
23. for dear life
24. for the life of one
25. go for your life
26. a matter of life and death
27. not on your life
28. the life and soul
29. the life of Riley
30. to the life
31. to save one's life
32. the time of one's life
33. true to life
Word origin
Old English līf; related to Old High German lib, Old Norse līf life, body
life in American English
(laɪf)
nounWord forms: plurallives
1.
that property or quality of plants and animals that distinguishes them from inorganicmatter or dead organisms; specif., the cellular biochemical activity or processes of an organism, characterized by the ingestionof nutrients, the storage and use of energy, the excretion of wastes, growth, reproduction, etc.
2.
this activity, or the state of possessing this property
brought back to life
3.
a living being, esp. a human being
the lives lost in wars
4.
living things collectively, often of a specified kind
plant life
5.
the time a person or thing is alive or exists, or a specific portion of such time
his early life
6.
a sentence of imprisonment for the rest of one's life
7.
one's manner of living
a life of ease
8.
the activities of a given time or in a given setting, and the people who take part in them
military life
9.
lives considered together as belonging to a certain class or type
high life
10.
a.
an individual's animate existence
b.
an account of this; biography
c.
a specific aspect of an individual's activities
her love life
11.
the existence of the soul
eternal life
12.
something essential to the continued existence of something else
freedom of speech is the life of democracy
13.
the source of vigor or liveliness
the life of the party
14.
vigor; liveliness; animation; vivacity
15.
the period of flourishing, usefulness, etc.; period during which anything lasts
fads have a short life
16.
another chance
17. Fine Arts
a.
a lifelike quality or appearance
b.
representation from living models
a class in life
adjective
18.
for a lifetime
a life sentence
19.
of or relating to the property of life
life processes
20.
using live models
a life class in art
Idioms:
a matter of life and death
as large as life
bring to life
come to life
for dear life
for life
for the life of me
from life
not on your life
see life
take life
take one's (own) life
the life
the life of Riley
to the life
true to life
Word origin
ME < OE līf, akin to ON líf, life, Ger leib, body < IE base *leibh-, to live1
More idioms containing
life
put your life in someone's hands
live the life of Riley
life is a bowl of cherries
the life and soul of the party
hold someone's life in your hands
get a life
frighten the life out of someone
fight for your life
a new lease of life
it's a dog's life
larger than life
large as life
to within an inch of your life
take your life in your hands
someone can't do something to save their life
risk life and limb
shelf life
someone's life hangs by a thread
variety is the spice of life
COBUILD Collocations
life
active life
adult life
city life
cost lives
destroy a life
domestic life
early life
endanger life
extend the life of
human life
improve the life of
political life
ruin a life
transform a life
village life
Examples of 'life' in a sentence
life
Who decides matters of life or death?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His father blurred the distinction between art and life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We attempted to make life as awkward as possible for them.
The Sun (2016)
That puts lives in danger right now.
The Sun (2016)
That was the most challenging period of my life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
With age comes so much more life experience.
The Sun (2016)
She is the single most influential person in my life aside from my parents.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Their life is always full of drama.
The Sun (2016)
Have you thought about where this scenario would take place in real life?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can really make a difference to people 's lives.
The Sun (2016)
It was a place which gave me an appreciation for the arts and life.
The Sun (2012)
This is a city full of energy and full of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Others are abusive or continue to make life painful for their offspring.
Christianity Today (2000)
Their lives are in danger when they are tied up on a ferry.
The Sun (2016)
It was not an easy period in his life.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Your life has opened out and you are probably gaining more life experience.
The Sun (2016)
Who was the most influential person in your life and why?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Now see this classic picture book brought to life.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There are processes in place to turn lives around.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We talked about her life story a lot.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She would have said that she lived a full and happy life.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
Feelings implicit in a storytelling can be stirred to life when people sing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
On the plus side there would be all the factors that might make life easier for you.
Shapiro, Jean Get the Best out of the Rest of Your Life (1990)
But treachery and mistrust will bring her life into danger.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He has gone through some difficult periods in his life and has always come out withstrength.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The very best experience of my life.
Ridgway, Roy Caring for your Unborn Child (1990)
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
For there is extant a book of his life which tells that he raised a dead man.
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
Now we are in a bigger place life can move on.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The difference between treating a cancer quickly and delaying for a few months can quite literally be life or death.
The Sun (2016)
His candid musings on the nature of life and art are also challenging - is all great art accidental?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Quotations
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more; it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothingWilliam ShakespeareMacbeth
The unexamined life is not worth livingSocrates
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwardsSøren Kierkegaard
Life is a comedy to those that think, and a tragedy to those that feelHorace WalpoleLetter to Anne, Countess of Upper Ossory
Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shotCharlie Chaplin
Life is long to the miserable, but short to the happyPublilius SyrusSententiae
The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scaleRichard DawkinsThe Blind Watchmaker
Life exists in the universe only because the carbon atom possesses certain exceptional qualitiesJames JeansThe Mysterious Universe
Life is an abnormal businessEugène IonescoThe Rhinoceros
Life is fired at us point blankJosé Ortega y Gasset
There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute - here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatablemiracle. Which is exactly what it is - a miracle and unrepeatableStorm Jameson
Look to this day For it is life, the very life of lifeThe Sufi
In the time of your life, live - so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world - but shall smile at the infinite delight and mystery of itWilliam Saroyan
Man is born to live, not to prepare for lifeBoris PasternakDoctor Zhivago
What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time; it is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in thesunsetCrowfoot, a great hunter of the BlackfootLast words
Oh, what a day-to-day business life isJules LaforgueComplainte sur certains ennuis
Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!Friedrich NietzscheDie fröhliche Wissenschaft
Life is just one damned thing after anotherFrank Ward O'Malley
Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad televisionWoody AllenHusbands and Wives
Lift not the painted veil which those who live Call LifePercy Bysshe ShelleySonnet
Life is one long process of getting tiredSamuel ButlerNotebooks
There is no wealth but lifeJohn RuskinUnto This Last
Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of timeJean Paul RichterLevana
Life isn't all beer and skittlesThomas HughesTom Brown's Schooldays
Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously aboutOscar WildeLady Windermere's Fan
The meaning of life is that it stopsFranz Kafka
It is the essence of life that it exists for its own sakeA.N. WhiteheadNature and Life
Old and young, we are all on our last cruiseRobert Louis StevensonVirginibus Puerisque
Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured, and little to be enjoyedSamuel JohnsonRasselas
'Tis all a chequer-board of nights and days Where Destiny with men for pieces plays; Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the closet laysEdward FitzgeraldThe Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám
Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soulHenry Wadsworth LongfellowA Psalm of Life
In other languages
life
British English: life /laɪf/ NOUN
Life is the quality which people, animals, and plants have when they are not dead.
⇒ People spend their lives worrying about money.人的一生都在为钱而担忧。 (Rén de yīshēng dōu zài wèi qián ér dānyōu.)
[of machine, organization]寿(壽)命 (shòumìng)
⇒ The repairs did not increase the life of the equipment.维修并没有增加设备的使用寿命。 (Wéixiū bìng méiyǒu zēngjiā shèbèi de shǐyòng shòumìng.)
(u) (= events, experience) 生活 (shēnghuó)
⇒ Life had not been kind to her.生活没有善待她。 (Shēnghuó méiyǒu shàndài tā.)
(u) (= vitality)[of person, place]活力 (huólì)
⇒ The town was full of life.这座城市充满了活力。 (Zhè zuò chéngshì chōngmǎnle huólì.)
(u) (inf) (also life imprisonment)
无(無)期徒刑 (wúqī túxíng)
⇒ He could get life, if convicted.如果定罪，他会被判无期徒刑。 (Rúguǒ dìngzuì, tā huì bèi pàn wúqī túxíng.)
to paint from life写(寫)生 (xiěshēng)
to fight for one's life与(與)生命抗争(爭) (yǔ shēngmìng kàngzhēng)
to be jailed/scarred for life遭受终(終)生监(監)禁/创(創)伤(傷) (zāoshòu zhōngshēng jiānjìn/chuāngshāng)
his personal/working life他的个(個)人/工作生活 (tāde gèrén/gōngzuò shēnghuó)
to come to life[person, party etc]苏(甦)醒过(過)来(來) (sūxǐng guòlái)
to take sb's life/one's own life (frm) 杀(殺)害某人/自杀(殺) (shāhài mǒurén/zìshā)
All related terms of 'life'
long-life
( milk ) 可长(長)久保存的 kě chángjiǔ bǎocún de
love life
爱(愛)情生活 àiqíng shēnghuó
daily life
日常生活 rìcháng shēnghuó
life jacket
救生衣 jiùshēngyī [ 件 jiàn ]
social life
社交生活 shèjiāo shēnghuó
life insurance
人寿(壽)保险(險) rénshòu bǎoxiǎn
life preserver
( lifebelt ) 救生用具 jiùshēng yòngjù [ 件 jiàn ]
life sentence
无(無)期徒刑 wúqī túxíng
way of life
生活方式 shēnghuó fāngshì
in later life
在晚年 zài wǎnnián
in real life
现(現)实(實)生活中 xiànshí shēnghuó zhōng
kiss of life
口对(對)口人工呼吸 kǒu duì kǒu réngōng hūxī
late in life
晚年 wǎnnián
loss of life
丧(喪)生 sàngshēng
true to life
逼真的 bīzhēn de
zest for life
对(對)生命的热(熱)情 duì shēngmìng de rèqíng
quality of life
生活质(質)量 shēnghuó zhìliàng
a fact of life
无(無)法改变(變)的事实(實) wúfǎ gǎibiàn de shìshí
never in my life
我从(從)未 wǒ cóngwèi ⇒ Never in my life have I seen anyone drink as much as you. → 我从未见过任何人有你这么能喝酒。 Wǒ cóngwèi jiànguo rènhé rén yǒu nǐ zhème néng hē jiǔ.
to come to life
( person, party etc ) 苏(甦)醒过(過)来(來) sūxǐng guòlái
the facts of life
性知识(識) xìngzhīshi
to make life easier
使生活更方便 shǐ shēnghuó gèng fāngbiàn
to paint from life
写(寫)生 xiěshēng
to save sb's life
挽救某人的生命 wǎnjiù mǒurén de shēngmìng
in the prime of life
处(處)于(於)壮(壯)年时(時)期 chǔyú zhuàngnián shíqī
to scar sb for life
( physically ) 给(給)某人留下终(終)生的伤(傷)疤 gěi mǒurén liúxià zhōngshēng de shāngbā
all the time/his life
始终(終)/他的整个(個)一生 shǐzhōng/tāde zhěnggè yīshēng
an attempt on sb's life
企图(圖)杀(殺)害某人 qǐtú shāhài mǒurén
fire/life/health insurance
火/人寿(壽)/健康险(險) huǒ/rénshòu/jiànkāngxiǎn
his personal/working life
他的个(個)人/工作生活 tāde gèrén/gōngzuò shēnghuó
to breathe life into sth
给(給)某事带(帶)来(來)活力 gěi mǒushì dàilái huólì
to fight for one's life
与(與)生命抗争(爭) yǔ shēngmìng kàngzhēng
it cost him his life/job
这(這)让(讓)他付出了生命/失去工作的代价(價) zhè ràng tā fùchūle shēngmìng/shīqù gōngzuò de dàijià
much of the time/his life
大多数(數)时(時)间(間)/他人生的大部分 dàduōshù shíjiān/tā rénshēng de dàbùfen
raft
life raft 皮艇 pítǐng [ 艘 sōu ]
to lead a busy/active life
过(過)着(著)繁忙/活跃(躍)的生活 guòzhe fánmáng/huóyuè de shēnghuó
to make sb's life a misery
使某人日子不好过(過) shǐ mǒurén rìzi bù hǎo guò
to take sb's life/one's own life
( frm ) 杀(殺)害某人/自杀(殺) shāhài mǒurén/zìshā
I will guard it with my life
我将(將)尽(盡)最大努力保护(護)它 wǒ jiāng jìn zuì dà nǔlì bǎohù tā
the state or quality that identifies living beings, characterized chiefly by growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli
a newborn baby's first minutes of life
Synonyms
being
the complex process by which the novel is brought into being
existence
living
breath
Here is no light, no breath, no warm flesh.
entity
key periods of national or cultural entity and development
vitality
animation
viability
sentience
2 (noun)
Definition
all living things collectively
Is there life on Mars?
Synonyms
living things
creatures
wildlife
organisms
living beings
3 (noun)
Definition
the remainder or extent of one's life
He spent the last fourteen years of his life in retirement.
Synonyms
existence
being
lifetime
During my lifetime I haven't got round to much travelling.
time
I wouldn't change anything if I had my time again.
days
course
In the course of the 1930s, steel production in Britain approximately doubled.
span
The batteries had a life span of six hours.
duration
the duration of the trial
continuance
4 (noun)
Definition
a present condition or mode of existence
How did you adjust to college life?
Synonyms
way of life
situation
conduct
Other people judge you by your conduct.
behaviour
This process modifies the cell's behaviour.
lifestyle
5 (noun)
Definition
liveliness or high spirits
The town itself was full of life and character.
Synonyms
liveliness
Some may enjoy the liveliness of such a restaurant.
activity
There is an extraordinary level of activity in the market.
energy
At 65 years old, her energy is wonderful.
spirit
They played with spirit.
go (informal)
Considering her age, she still has a lot of go in her.
pep
They need something to put the pep back in their lives.
sparkle
There was little sparkle in their performance.
vitality
He fell in love with her for her vitality and sense of fun.
animation
They both spoke with animation.
vigour
He lacks the vigour of a normal, healthy teenager.
He played with great vigour.
verve
He played with great style and verve.
zest
high spirits
get-up-and-go (informal)
She's got more get-up-and-go than anyone I know.
oomph (informal)
brio
The performance was full of brio.
vivacity
She danced past, bubbling with vivacity.
6 (noun)
Definition
a biography
It was his aim to write a life of John Paul Jones.
Synonyms
biography
an unauthorised biography
story
a popular love story with a happy ending
history
I studied her history closely.
career
profile
The newspaper published comparative profiles of the candidates.
confessions
autobiography
He published his autobiography last autumn.
memoirs
life story
7 (noun)
Definition
the length of time that something is active or functioning
The repairs did not increase the life of the equipment.
Synonyms
period of usefulness
existence
Public worries about accidents are threatening the very existence of the nuclear power industry.
duration
8 (noun)
Definition
a source of strength, animation, or vitality
He sucks the life out of the room.
Synonyms
spirit
the real spirit of the revolutionary movement
heart
his friendly nature and generous heart
soul
Such memories stirred in his soul.
essence
Some claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through its language.
core
He has the ability to get straight to the core of a problem.
lifeblood
Coal and steel were the region's lifeblood.
moving spirit
vital spark
animating spirit
élan vital (French)
9 (noun)
Definition
a living person or being
Thousands of lives will be saved.
Synonyms
person
Sam's the only person who can do the job.
human
The drug has not yet been tested on humans.
individual
the rights and responsibilities of the individual
soul
a tiny village of only 100 souls
human being
not to hear a fellow human being's voice
mortal
impossible needs for any mere mortal to meet
idioms
See come to life
See for dear life
See give your life
See that's life
related words
related adjectivesanimatevital
Quotations
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more; it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing [William Shakespeare – Macbeth]The unexamined life is not worth living [Socrates]Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards [Søren Kierkegaard]Life is a comedy to those that think, and a tragedy to those that feel [Horace Walpole – Letter to Anne, Countess of Upper Ossory]Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot [Charlie Chaplin]Life is long to the miserable, but short to the happy [Publilius Syrus – Sententiae]The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scale [Richard Dawkins – The Blind Watchmaker]Life exists in the universe only because the carbon atom possesses certain exceptional qualities [James Jeans – The Mysterious Universe]Life is an abnormal business [Eugène Ionesco – The Rhinoceros]Life is fired at us point blank [José Ortega y Gasset]There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute - here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle. Which is exactly what it is - a miracle and unrepeatable [Storm Jameson]Look to this day For it is life, the very life of life [The Sufi]In the time of your life, live - so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world - but shall smile at the infinite delight and mystery of it [William Saroyan]Man is born to live, not to prepare for life [Boris Pasternak – Doctor Zhivago]What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time; it is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset [Crowfoot, a great hunter of the Blackfoot – Last words]Oh, what a day-to-day business life is [Jules Laforgue – Complainte sur certains ennuis]Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously! [Friedrich Nietzsche – Die fröhliche Wissenschaft]Life is just one damned thing after another [Frank Ward O'Malley]Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television [Woody Allen – Husbands and Wives]Lift not the painted veil which those who live Call Life [Percy Bysshe Shelley – Sonnet]Life is one long process of getting tired [Samuel Butler – Notebooks]There is no wealth but life [John Ruskin – Unto This Last]Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time [Jean Paul Richter – Levana]Life isn't all beer and skittles [Thomas Hughes – Tom Brown's Schooldays]Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about [Oscar Wilde – Lady Windermere's Fan]The meaning of life is that it stops [Franz Kafka]It is the essence of life that it exists for its own sake [A.N. Whitehead – Nature and Life]Old and young, we are all on our last cruise [Robert Louis Stevenson – Virginibus Puerisque]Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured, and little to be enjoyed [Samuel Johnson – Rasselas]'Tis all a chequer-board of nights and days Where Destiny with men for pieces plays; Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the closet lays [Edward Fitzgerald – The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám]Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – A Psalm of Life]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of activity
Definition
the state of being active
There is an extraordinary level of activity in the market.
Synonyms
action,
work,
life,
labour,
movement,
energy,
exercise,
spirit,
enterprise,
motion,
bustle,
animation,
vigour,
hustle,
exertion,
hurly-burly,
liveliness,
activeness,
stir
in the sense of animation
Definition
liveliness and enthusiasm
They both spoke with animation.
Synonyms
liveliness,
life,
action,
activity,
energy,
spirit,
passion,
enthusiasm,
excitement,
pep,
sparkle,
vitality,
vigour,
zeal,
verve,
zest,
fervour,
high spirits,
dynamism,
buoyancy,
elation,
exhilaration,
welly (slang),
gaiety,
ardour (old-fashioned),
vibrancy,
brio,
zing (informal),
vivacity,
ebullience,
briskness,
airiness,
sprightliness,
pizzazz or pizazz (informal)
in the sense of autobiography
Definition
an account of a person's life written by that person
He published his autobiography last autumn.
Synonyms
life story,
record,
history,
résumé,
memoirs
Synonyms of 'life'
life
Explore 'life' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of behaviour
This process modifies the cell's behaviour.
Synonyms
action,
working,
running,
performance,
operation,
practice,
conduct,
functioning
in the sense of breath
Here is no light, no breath, no warm flesh.
Synonyms
life,
energy,
existence,
vitality,
animation,
life force,
lifeblood,
mauri (New Zealand)
in the sense of brio
The performance was full of brio.
Synonyms
energy,
spirit,
enthusiasm,
dash,
pep,
zip (informal),
animation,
vigour,
verve,
zest,
panache,
gusto,
get-up-and-go (informal),
élan,
vivacity,
liveliness,
welly (slang)
in the sense of conduct
Definition
behaviour
Other people judge you by your conduct.
Synonyms
behaviour,
ways,
bearing,
attitude,
manners,
carriage,
demeanour,
deportment,
mien (literary),
comportment
in the sense of core
Definition
the central or essential part of something
He has the ability to get straight to the core of a problem.
Synonyms
heart,
essence,
nucleus,
kernel,
crux,
gist,
nub,
pith
in the sense of course
Definition
a period of time
In the course of the 1930s, steel production in Britain approximately doubled.
Synonyms
period,
time,
duration,
term,
passing,
sweep,
passage,
lapse
in the sense of duration
Definition
the length of time that something lasts
the duration of the trial
Synonyms
length,
time,
period,
term,
stretch,
extent,
spell,
span,
time frame,
timeline
in the sense of energy
Definition
intensity or vitality of action or expression
At 65 years old, her energy is wonderful.
Synonyms
liveliness,
life,
drive,
fire,
spirit,
determination,
pep,
go (informal),
zip (informal),
vitality,
animation,
vigour,
verve,
zest,
resilience,
welly (slang),
get-up-and-go (informal),
élan,
brio,
vivacity,
vim,
zeal
in the sense of entity
key periods of national or cultural entity and development
Synonyms
essential nature,
being,
existence,
essence,
quintessence,
real nature,
quiddity
in the sense of essence
Definition
the most important and distinctive feature of something, which determines its identity
Some claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through its language.
Synonyms
fundamental nature,
nature,
being,
life,
meaning,
heart,
spirit,
principle,
soul,
core,
substance,
significance,
entity,
bottom line,
essential part,
kernel,
crux,
lifeblood,
pith,
quintessence,
basic characteristic,
quiddity
Additional synonyms
in the sense of get-up-and-go
Definition
energy or drive
She's got more get-up-and-go than anyone I know.
Synonyms
energy,
drive,
spirit,
life,
push (informal),
strength,
pep,
zip (informal),
vitality,
stamina,
vigour,
zeal,
verve,
zest,
welly (slang),
vivacity,
liveliness,
vim,
forcefulness
in the sense of go
Definition
the quality of being active and energetic
Considering her age, she still has a lot of go in her.
Synonyms
energy,
life,
drive,
spirit,
pep,
vitality,
vigour,
verve,
welly (slang),
force,
get-up-and-go (informal),
oomph (informal),
brio,
vivacity
in the sense of heart
his friendly nature and generous heart
Synonyms
nature,
character,
soul,
constitution,
essence,
temperament,
inclination,
disposition
in the sense of history
Definition
the past events or previous experiences of a place, thing, or person
I studied her history closely.
Synonyms
life story,
story,
biography,
autobiography,
memoirs
in the sense of human
Definition
a human being
The drug has not yet been tested on humans.
Synonyms
human being,
person,
individual,
body (informal),
creature,
mortal,
man or woman,
soul,
wight (archaic)
in the sense of human being
Definition
a man, woman, or child
not to hear a fellow human being's voice
Synonyms
human,
man,
woman,
person,
mortal
in the sense of individual
Definition
a single person, esp. when regarded as distinct from others
the rights and responsibilities of the individual
Synonyms
person,
being,
human,
party (informal),
body (informal),
type,
unit,
character (informal),
soul,
creature,
human being,
mortal,
personage,
living soul
in the sense of lifeblood
Definition
something that is essential for existence, development, or success
Coal and steel were the region's lifeblood.
Synonyms
animating force,
life,
heart,
inspiration,
guts (informal),
essence,
stimulus,
driving force,
vital spark
in the sense of lifetime
Definition
the length of time a person is alive
During my lifetime I haven't got round to much travelling.
Synonyms
existence,
time,
day(s),
course,
period,
span,
life span,
your natural life,
all your born days
in the sense of mortal
Definition
a human being
impossible needs for any mere mortal to meet
Synonyms
human being,
being,
man,
woman,
body (informal),
person,
human,
individual,
earthling
Additional synonyms
in the sense of pep
Definition
high spirits, energy, or vitality
They need something to put the pep back in their lives.
Synonyms
energy,
life,
spirit,
zip (informal),
vitality,
animation,
vigour,
verve,
high spirits,
gusto,
welly (slang),
get-up-and-go (informal),
brio,
vivacity,
liveliness,
vim
in the sense of profile
Definition
a short biographical sketch
The newspaper published comparative profiles of the candidates.
Synonyms
biography,
sketch,
vignette,
characterization,
thumbnail sketch,
character sketch
in the sense of soul
Definition
the spiritual part of a person, regarded as the centre of personality, intellect, will, and emotions: believed by many to survive the body after death
Such memories stirred in his soul.
Synonyms
spirit,
essence,
psyche,
life,
mind,
reason,
intellect,
vital force,
animating principle,
wairua (New Zealand)
in the sense of soul
Definition
a person
a tiny village of only 100 souls
Synonyms
person,
being,
human,
individual,
body,
creature,
mortal,
man or woman
in the sense of span
Definition
the complete extent
The batteries had a life span of six hours.
Synonyms
period,
term,
duration,
course,
stretch,
spell
in the sense of sparkle
Definition
liveliness and wit
There was little sparkle in their performance.
Synonyms
vivacity,
life,
spirit,
dash,
zip (informal),
vitality,
animation,
panache,
gaiety (old-fashioned),
élan,
brio,
liveliness,
vim
in the sense of story
Definition
a piece of fiction, shorter and usually less detailed than a novel
a popular love story with a happy ending
Synonyms
tale,
romance,
narrative,
record,
history,
version,
novel,
legend,
chronicle,
yarn (informal),
recital,
narration,
urban myth,
urban legend,
fictional account
in the sense of time
I wouldn't change anything if I had my time again.
Synonyms
lifetime,
day,
life,
season,
duration,
life span,
allotted span
in the sense of verve
Definition
great enthusiasm or liveliness
He played with great style and verve.
Synonyms
enthusiasm,
energy,
spirit,
life,
force,
punch (informal),
dash,
pep,
sparkle,
zip (informal),
vitality,
animation,
vigour,
zeal,
gusto,
welly (slang),
get-up-and-go (informal),
élan,
brio,
vivacity,
liveliness,
vim
in the sense of vigour
Definition
physical or mental energy
He lacks the vigour of a normal, healthy teenager.He played with great vigour.
Synonyms
energy,
might,
force,
vitality,
power,
activity,
spirit,
strength,
snap (informal),
punch (informal),
dash,
pep,
zip (informal),
animation,
verve,
gusto,
dynamism,
welly (slang),
oomph (informal),
brio,
robustness,
liveliness,
vim,
forcefulness
Additional synonyms
in the sense of vitality
Definition
physical or mental energy
He fell in love with her for her vitality and sense of fun.