| 单词 | life |
| 释义 | lifelife /laɪf/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural lives /laɪvz/) 1PERIOD OF BEING ALIVE [countable, uncountable] the period between someone’s birth and death, during which he or she is alive: Learning goes on throughout life. My mother worked hard all her life.of somebody’s life This is one of the happiest days of my life.in somebody’s life I’d only seen my great-aunt three times in my life before she died. He deserves to spend his life in prison for what he’s done.for life The accident left him crippled for life (=for the rest of his life). It is hard to get reliable information about St. Catherine’s early life (=when she was young). Arlene’s father took up painting in later life (=when he was older). She didn’t have children until relatively late in life (=when she was fairly old).2STATE OF BEING ALIVE [countable, uncountable] the state of being alive: It is wonderful to hold a baby in her first moments of life. A heart transplant could save his life. Chuen risked his life to save Sammler (=did something during which he could have been killed). Over 2,000 Americans lost their lives in the attack (=died). Failure to follow safety rules could result in needless loss of life. Anna took her own life when she was 23 (=killed herself). She looked at him for signs of life (=signs that he was alive). I can’t bring my child back to life, but I need to know how he died. Every time you cross this highway you take your life in your hands (=put yourself in a dangerous situation). My mother was in the hospital fighting for her life (=struggling to stay alive). The president survived two attempts on his life (=attempts to kill him). The brave men and women of the military are willing to lay down their lives for their country (=die willingly for their country).3LIVING THINGS [uncountable] a)the quality that people, animals, and plants have that rocks, machines, dead bodies, etc. do not have b)science, biology living things, such as people, animals, or plants: Do you think there is life on other planets? The movie is about animal life in the Antarctic (=all the animals that live there). All forms of life on Earth depend on oxygen.4WAY OF LIVING [countable, uncountable] all the experiences and activities that are typical of a particular way of living: Life in L.A. is exciting. He started his working life as an urban planner. Married life isn’t everything we expected. The American way of life has changed dramatically in the last 60 years.somebody’s life as something The book tells about her life as a singer. Sitting here by the ocean on a perfect day – this is the life (=what we are doing is the most enjoyable way to live)!5EXPERIENCES [countable usually singular] the type of experience that someone has during his or her life: Having children changes your life. The documentary gives an account of daily life in ancient Egypt. He hasn’t had an easy life, you know. We all have dreams of a life of luxury. They moved to Australia to start a new life. Going back to school to get my degree changed my life – I have so many more opportunities now. The pace of life was slower in the South (=how fast events in life happen and how busy you are). Our quality of life is more important than money. She lived life to the full (=used every opportunity to do exciting or interesting things). → see also life story6PART OF LIVING [countable usually singular] a particular part of someone’s life and the activities that relate to it: She loves her busy social life. We had a happy home life. I never discuss my personal life (=private things about my life). How’s your love life these days (=used about both romantic and sexual relationships)?7HUMAN EXISTENCE [uncountable] human existence, considered as all the experiences that humans can have or have had: Life can be hard sometimes. Cindy still doesn’t know much about life.8real life what really happens as opposed to what happens in people’s imaginations or in stories: The TV show is a real-life drama. In real life it’s not so easy to catch a criminal.9the life of something the period of time during which something happens, exists, or has a use: What’s the average life of a passenger airplane? → see also shelf life10PRISON [uncountable] (also life imprisonment) the punishment of being put in prison for the rest of your life: Pratt was sentenced to life for the 1968 murder. → see also life sentence11INTEREST/EXCITEMENT [uncountable] the quality of being interesting or exciting: There wasn’t much life in her performance. A good teacher can bring literature to life for students. The place came to life (=became exciting) when Sarah walked in.12ENERGY [uncountable] a quality of energy and happiness in the way someone lives: She always seemed so happy and full of life.13MOVING/WORKING [uncountable] the state in which a machine or piece of equipment is active or working: Suddenly the engine came to life (=started working).14be somebody’s (whole) life to be the most important thing or person in someone’s life: Music is Laura’s life.15be the life of the party someone who is fun and exciting to be with at social occasions16make life difficult/easier etc. to make it difficult, easier, etc. to do something: It would make life easier for me if the two of you would cooperate.17a life of its own used to say that something seems to move, work, or develop in a way that you cannot control: Suddenly the ball seemed to take on a life of its own.18the race/surprise/game etc. of somebody’s life the best race someone has ever run, the biggest surprise someone has ever had, etc. → see also have the time of your life at time1 (21)19the woman/man in your life the woman or man with whom you have a sexual or romantic relationship20IN A GAME [countable] a chance in a game, for example a computer game, to continue playing even after you have done something that defeats your player: I’m at level five with three lives left.21BOOK/MOVIE [countable] the story of someone’s life SYN biography: He wrote a life of Christopher Columbus.22paint/draw from life to paint or draw something that you are looking at directly, not from another picture23the next life/the life to come a continued existence that is expected after deathSPOKEN PHRASES24that’s life used when you are disappointed or upset that something has happened, but realize that you must accept it: Oh well, that’s life!25how’s life (treating you)? used as an informal greeting: Hi Jim! How’s life?26life is too short (to do something) said when telling someone that something is not important enough to worry about: Life’s too short to worry about every little detail.27Get a life! used to tell someone you think he or she is boring28life goes on used to say that you must continue living as usual even when something sad or disappointing happens29for the life of me said when you cannot do something, even when you try very hard: I can’t remember her name for the life of me!30not on your life! used to say that you definitely will not do something[Origin: Old English lif] → see also for dear life at dear1 (3), high life, larger than life at large (5), give somebody/something a new lease on life at lease1 (2), low life, something is a matter of life and death at matter1 (17), can’t do something to save your life at save1 (11)GRAMMAR: lifeWhen talking about life in general, do not use “the.” Don’t say: The life is full of surprises. Say instead: Life is full of surprises.COLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2verbssave somebody’s life The money you give will save the life of a child.risk your life He risked his life to help Jews during World War II.spend your life She spent her adult life in San Francisco, after growing up in a small town.lose your life (=die) Hundreds of people lost their lives on the first day of the fighting.take a/somebody’s life (=kill someone) All cultures consider it wrong to take a life for no reason.take your own life (=kill yourself) He took his own life at the age of 64.claim the life of somebody formal (=used to say that something causes someone to die) The disease claimed the lives of up to a quarter of the population.cost somebody his/her life (=result in someone’s death) The decision to go back into the burning building cost him his life.cost lives (=result in people’s deaths) Starting another war will just cost many lives and a lot of money.give your life (also lay down your life) (=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief) These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free.endanger the life of somebody They wanted to capture the gunman without endangering the lives of his hostages.spare somebody’s life (=not kill someone, when you could kill them) She begged him to spare the life of her son.be fighting for your life (=be so ill or injured that you might die) One badly burned man was fighting for his life in hospital.prolong life The drug may prolong the life of cancer sufferers.cling to life (=try to stay alive, even though you are very ill or injured) She clung to life, despite the pain.adjectivessomebody’s whole/entire life My grandmother spent her whole life living in the same small mountain town.early life Not much is known about the writer’s early life.later life In later life, she would recall her grandfather’s stories and tell them to her own children.life + nounslife expectancy (=the number of years a particular person or group is expected to live, according to scientific calculation) The life expectancy of a child with the disease is only 14 to 16 years.life span (=the length of time somebody lives) The average life span at the time was only 45 years.life savings (=all the money you have saved during your life) They decided to put their life savings into starting a business. |
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