If someone has a life-threatening illness or is in a life-threatening situation, there is a strong possibility that the illness or the situation will kill them.
Caitlin was born with a life-threatening heart abnormality.
Synonyms: fatal, deathly, deadly, lethal More Synonyms of life-threatening
life-threatening in British English
(ˈlaɪfθrɛtənɪŋ)
adjective
(of an illness, situation, etc) that makes it possible that the person affected will die
children being born with chronic or life-threatening conditions
Caitlin was born with a life-threatening heart condition.
Examples of 'life-threatening' in a sentence
life-threatening
I picked it up, thinking how something so seemingly insignificant had turned into life-threatening danger.
Anita Anderson SUMMER OF SECRETS (2002)
I was interested now I realized her brainwave didn't involve me in anything illegal or life-threatening.
Val McDermid KICK BACK (2002)
In other languages
life-threatening
British English: life-threatening ADJECTIVE
If someone has a life-threatening illness or is in a life-threatening situation, there is a strong possibility that the illness or the situation will kill them.
She was born with a life-threatening heart abnormality.