life
[noun]
Synonyms:
- being, sentience, vitality
- existence, being, lifetime, span, time
- biography, autobiography, confessions, history, life story, memoirs, story
- behaviour, conduct, life style, way of life
- liveliness, animation, energy, high spirits, spirit, verve, vigour, vitality, vivacity, zest

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Life trademark
a former US magazine known for having many interesting photographs of different places around the world. It stopped being published in 2007.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

life S1 W1 /laɪf/ noun (plural lives /laɪvz/)
[Word Family: noun: life, lifelessness, lifer; adjective: lifeless, lifelike, lifelong; adverb: lifelessly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: lif]

1. TIME SOMEBODY IS ALIVE [uncountable and countable] the period of time when someone is alive:
Learning goes on throughout life.
You have your whole life ahead of you.
in sb’s life
For the first time in my life I was happy.
I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life!
I’ve known John all my life (=since I was born).
His main aim in life was to have fun.
It was one of the best days of my life.
The accident scarred him for life (=for the rest of his life).
She knew she’d feel guilty for the rest of her life.
Raj spent his life caring for others.
Bonington spent his entire adult life in France.
We don’t know much about the poet’s early life (=when he was young).
Poor diet can lead to a whole range of diseases in later life (=when you are older).
She married late in life (=when she was fairly old).
He’s a life member (=continuing until he dies) of the club.

2. STATE OF BEING ALIVE [uncountable and countable] the state of being alive:
The right to life is the most basic of human rights.
Danny was a cheerful little boy who loved life.
Two firefighters risked their lives to save the children.

3. WAY SOMEBODY LIVES [countable usually singular] the way you live your life, and what you do and experience during it
lead/live/have a ... life
The operation should enable Bobby to lead a normal life.
She just wanted to live a quiet life.
Having a baby changes your life completely.
The family moved to Australia to start a new life.
Ken’s whole life revolved around surfing (=that was the main interest and purpose of his life).
You shouldn’t let your boyfriend rule your life (=control and affect everything you do).
My grandmother had a hard life (=a life full of problems).
She’s led a very sheltered life (=a life in which you have been protected from unpleasant things).
a life of crime/poverty/misery etc
He had been drawn into a life of crime.

4. PARTICULAR SITUATION/JOB [uncountable and countable]
a) the experiences, activities, and ways of living that are typical of being in a particular job, situation, society etc:
Why do so few women enter political life?
the British way of life
city/country/village etc life
Noise has become one of the main pollutants of modern city life.
army/student/college etc life
He missed the routine of army life.
Are you enjoying married life?
b) the time in your life when you are doing a particular job, are in a particular situation etc
sb’s life as something
Now a celebrity chef, he rarely talks about his life as an army cook.
Sara admits to having affairs throughout her married life.
Most of his working life was spent in the shipyards.

5. social/personal/sex etc life the activities in your life relating to your friends, your family, sex etc:
I don’t need advice about my love life.
traditional views of family life
Children need a caring and happy home life.

6. HUMAN EXISTENCE [uncountable] human existence, considered as a variety of experiences and activities:
My Aunt Julia had very little experience of life.
Life has a way of changing the best of plans.
For some people, religion gives life a meaning.
daily/everyday life
the frustrations and disappointments of everyday life
I try to see the funny side of life.

7. TIME WHEN SOMETHING EXISTS/WORKS [countable usually singular]
a) the period of time during which something happens or exists
life of
The issues will not be resolved during the life of the present parliament.
start/begin/come to life as something
The building began life as a monastery.
b) the period of time during which something is still good enough to use
life of
What’s the average life of a passenger aircraft?
Careful use can extend the life of your washing machine. ⇒ shelf life

8. LIVING THINGS [uncountable]
a) the quality of being alive that people, animals, plants etc have and that objects and dead things do not have:
Ben felt her neck for a pulse or any other sign of life.
In the springtime, everything comes to life again.
b) living things, such as people, animals, or plants:
Is there life on other planets?
human/animal/plant/bird etc life
The island is rich in bird life. ⇒ wildlife

9. be sb’s (whole) life to be the most important thing or person to someone:
Music is Laura’s whole life.

10. life and death (also life or death) used for emphasizing that a situation, decision etc is extremely urgent and important, especially because someone is at risk of dying:
Don’t call me unless it’s a matter of life and death.
a life or death decision
A doctor’s job involves life and death situations.

11. GAME [countable] a chance in a game, especially a computer game, in which you can be defeated or do something wrong and can still continue playing:
He’s up to level five and still has three lives left.

12. ACTIVITY [uncountable] activity or movement:
The house was quiet and there was no sign of life.
She was always so cheerful and full of life.

13. INTEREST/EXCITEMENT [uncountable] a quality of being interesting or exciting:
Try to put some life into your writing.
The game really came to life after a magnificent goal from Rooney.
A gifted teacher can really bring literature to life for his or her students.

14. come to life/roar into life/splutter into life etc to suddenly start working:
Finally the car spluttered into life.

15. make life difficult/easier etc to make it difficult, easier etc to do something:
Surely computers are supposed to make life easier, not more complicated!
make life difficult/easier etc for
Why make life difficult for yourself?

16. the life and soul of the party British English, the life of the party American English someone who enjoys social occasions and is fun and exciting to be with

17. life and limb formal your life and physical health – used especially when this is threatened in some way:
She risks life and limb every day in her job as an undercover investigator.

18. get a life! spoken used to tell someone that you think they are boring and should find more exciting things to do:
You guys should just stop moaning and get a life!

19. that’s life (also such is life) spoken used to say that something is disappointing but you have to accept it:
Oh well, that’s life!

20. life’s a bitch spoken not polite used to say that bad things happen in life

21. this is the life spoken used when you are relaxing and doing something you enjoy:
Ah, this is the life! Lying on the beach, sipping cool drinks.

22. the shock/surprise/game etc of sb’s life the biggest shock or surprise, the best game etc that someone has ever had:
I had the surprise of my life when I saw John standing there. ⇒ have the time of your life at time¹(41)

23. how’s life? spoken used to ask someone if they are well, what they have been doing etc:
Hi Bob! How’s life?
How’s life been with you?

24. life goes on spoken used to say that you must continue to live a normal life even when something sad or disappointing has happened:
We both miss him, but life goes on.

25. a life of its own
a) if something has a life of its own, it seems to move or work by itself:
The ball seemed to have acquired a life of its own.
b) if something has a life of its own, it exists and develops without depending on other things:
Slowly but surely, the project is taking on a life of its own.

26. cannot for the life of me spoken used to say that you cannot remember or understand something even when you try hard:
I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name.

27. life’s too short spoken used to say that you should not waste time doing something or worrying about something:
Forget about it. Life’s too short.
life’s too short for
Life’s too short for moping about.
life’s too short to do something
Life’s too short to bear grudges.

28. not on your life spoken used as a reply to a question or suggestion to say that you definitely will not do something:
‘Are you going to go and work for him then?’ ‘Not on your life!’

29. the woman/man/girl etc in your life the woman or man you are married to or are having a relationship with – used especially in advertisements:
This is the ideal gift for the man in your life.

30. PRISON [uncountable] (also life imprisonment) the punishment of being put in prison for the rest of your life
be sentenced to/get/be given life
He was sentenced to life for the murder.
I think she should get life. ⇒ life sentence, lifer

31. ART [uncountable] when you paint, draw etc something you are looking at, especially a person or animal:
She’s taking classes in life drawing. ⇒ still life

32. frighten/scare the life out of somebody informal to make someone feel very frightened:
Don’t do that! You scared the life out of me!

33. there’s life in the old dog yet spoken used to say that although someone or something is old, they are still able to do something – used humorously

34. live/lead/have the life of Riley informal to have a very easy and comfortable life and not have to work hard:
He spends all day lounging by the pool and living the life of Riley.

35. BOOK/FILM [uncountable] the story of someone’s life Synonym : biography:
Boswell’s ‘Life of Johnson’

36. the next life (also the life to come), life after death the time after death, in which some people believe life continues in another form:
She expects to meet her dead husband in the next life.
⇒ as large as life at large¹(7), ⇒ change of life, ⇒ for dear life at dear³(6), ⇒ double life, ⇒ high life at high¹(22), ⇒ a new lease of life at lease¹(2), ⇒ quality of life at quality¹(5), ⇒ real life at real¹(3), ⇒ real-life, ⇒ true to life at true¹(9), ⇒ walk of life

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

life
noun
I. living things
ADJ. intelligent Is there intelligent life on other planets?
animal, bird, human, insect, marine, plant
LIFE + NOUN form | cycle

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
II. existence
VERB + LIFE lose He lost his life in an air crash.
bring sb back to, restore sb to | cling to, fight for She clung to life for several weeks. | risk She risked her life for the sake of the children.
save a drug that will save lives
spare She begged the soldiers to spare her son's life.
give, lay down, sacrifice | claim, cost, end, take The crash claimed 43 lives. His foolishness almost cost him his life. She took her own life.
start (figurative) The restaurant started life as a cinema.
LIFE + VERB be lost No lives were lost in the accident.
LIFE + NOUN assurance, insurance
PHRASES an attempt on sb's life There have been three attempts on the president's life.
in fear for/of your life Witnesses are living in fear for their life after giving evidence against the gang.
life after death Do you believe in life after death?
loss of life The plane crashed with heavy loss of life.
a matter of life and death (figurative) These talks are a matter of life and death for the factory.
the right to life anti-abortionists campaigning for the right to life
signs of life The driver showed no signs of life.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
III. period between birth and death
ADJ. long, short | entire, whole | early | adult | later In later life he took up writing.
past, previous He never discussed the unhappinesses of his past life. I think I may have been an animal in a previous life.
future, next | working He was a miner all his working life.
VERB + LIFE go through, live, spend She went through life always wanting what she couldn't get. He spent his whole life in Cornwall.
end He ended his life a happy man.
shorten | prolong | dedicate, devote He devoted his life to the education of deaf children.
LIFE + NOUN history, story | membership | imprisonment, sentence | expectancy, span (also lifespan) Japanese people have a very high life expectancy. the lifespan of a mouse
PREP. for ~ She thought marriage should be for life.
in your ~ for the first time in her life
throughout your ~ Throughout her life she was dogged by loneliness.
PHRASES all your life I've known her all my life.
at sb's time of life At his time of life he should be starting to take things easy.
the end of your life Her paintings became more obscure towards the end of her life.
late in life She discovered jazz quite late in life.
the … of your life I had the fright of my life when I saw the snake in my bed. He met the love of his life at college.
a phase/stage in/of (your) life She sensed she was entering a new phase in her life.
the prime of life You're still in the prime of life.
the remainder/rest of your life He'll be haunted by the crash for the rest of his life.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
IV. activity in the world
ADJ. daily, day-to-day, everyday | real a real-life drama
modern | personal, private She did not tolerate press intrusion into her private life.
inner Only his wife had access to his inner life.
family, married | social | love, sex | public His fame was so sudden that he was unprepared for public life.
academic, business, cultural, economic, intellectual, political, professional, school | night (also nightlife) What's the nightlife like in the town?
city, village, etc.
VERB + LIFE build, rebuild He built his whole life around his children. She is still reb
PHRASES an attitude to life, an outlook on life, a philosophy/view of life I've always had a fairly optimistic outlook on life.
a love of life He always had a great love of life.
a man/woman in your life There has only been one woman in his life.
see sth of life I wanted to see something of life before I settled down.
the … side of life His time in London was his first glimpse of the seamier side of life. | want sth from/in/out of life They both seem to want the same things out of life.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
V. way of living
ADJ. good, happy | lonely, miserable, sad, unhappy | hard | easy | active, busy, hectic | exciting | full | peaceful, quiet | normal, ordinary | healthy | sheltered | double He had been leading a double life, married to two women.
VERB + LIFE have, lead, live She leads a busy social life.
enjoy | change Learning meditation changed her life.
dominate, take over He never let his work dominate his life.
ruin He ruined his life through drinking.
PHRASES build/make/start a new life They went to Australia to start a new life.
enjoy/live life to the full He always believed in living life to the full.
the high life enjoying the high life in the smartest hotels and restaurants of New York
live a life of … They're living a life of luxury in the Bahamas.
a/the pace of life The pace of life is much gentler on the island.
the quality of life He gave up his high-flying job and now enjoys a better quality of life.
a way of life She loved the Spanish way of life and immediately felt at home there.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
VI. liveliness
VERB + LIFE come to The city only comes to life at night.
breathe, bring sth to, inject They need some new, younger staff to breathe some life into the company.
burst/hum/teem with a child bursting with life
PHRASES full of life It's nice to see an old man still so full of life.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life

save sb’s life
The money you give will save the life of a child.
risk your life
He risked his life to help Jews during the Second World War.
lose your life (=die)
Hundreds of people lost their lives on the first day of the fighting.
take a/sb’s life (=kill someone)
All cultures consider it wrong to take a life for no reason.
take your own life (=kill yourself)
He was depressed and decided to take his own life.
claim the life of somebody (=kill someone – used of a thing)
The disease claimed the lives of up to a quarter of the population.
cost lives/cost somebody their life (=result in deaths/in someone’s death)
That decision may have cost him his life.
give your life/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 sb’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.
cling to life (=try to stay alive, even though you are very ill or injured)
She clung to life, despite the pain.
owe your life to somebody (=be still alive because of someone’s actions)
The victim said he owed his life to the stranger who helped him.
take your life in your hands (=put yourself in a dangerous situation)
Just crossing this road is taking your life in your hands.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

life
noun
1.
BAD: The cost of life is very high in London.
GOOD: The cost of living is very high in London.
BAD: During a recession, some people find it difficult to make a life.
GOOD: During a recession, some people find it difficult to make a living.

Usage Note:
Phrases connected with the idea of money end with living (NOT life ): 'Salaries have not kept up with increases in the cost of living.' 'It's difficult to earn/make a living as an actress.' 'Acting is fun, but I wouldn't want to do it for a living.'

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2.
BAD: Television has taught me a lot about the American life.
GOOD: Television has taught me a lot about the American way of life.
DUBIOUS: This busy type of life allows us no time to sit down and relax.
GOOD: This busy lifestyle allows us no time to sit down and relax.

Usage Note:
way of life = the way that a society, group or person chooses to live: 'I found the British way of life very strange at first.' 'The computer has transformed our whole way of life.'
lifestyle = way of life, especially that of a particular person: 'As a photographer, she has a very hectic lifestyle.'

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3.
BAD: The life in the countryside is quiet and relaxed.
GOOD: Life in the countryside is quiet and relaxed.
BAD: He didn't enjoy the life in the army at all.
GOOD: He didn't enjoy life in the army at all.

Usage Note:
When life means 'the way of life that is connected with a particular type of situation, group or occupation', it is usually used without the : 'I found city life too stressful.' 'Life in New York is full of excitement.' 'What do you think of married life?'

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4.
BAD: He was the most attractive man that I had met in my life.
GOOD: He was the most attractive man that I had ever met.

Usage Note:
When a superlative ('most attractive') is followed by a relative clause, use that ... ever ... (NOT that ... in my/her etc life) : 'It was the best holiday we'd ever had.' 'This is the worst film I've ever seen.'

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5.
BAD: It was one of the happiest days in my life.
GOOD: It was one of the happiest days of my life.

Usage Note:
superlative ('happiest') + noun + of your life (NOT in ): 'She refers to her childhood as the most carefree time of her life.'
Compare: 'One of the most important things in life is good health.'

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6.
BAD: On Saturday nights there is usually life music at the club.
GOOD: On Saturday nights there is usually live music at the club.

Usage Note:
live = heard or seen while it is actually being played or performed: 'Tonight's live concert comes from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

life
laɪf
See: between life and death , big as life , cat has nine lives , charmed life , come alive ot come to life , facts of life , for dear life , for the life of one , lead a dog's life , night life , not on your life or one's life , take one's life in one's hands , time of one's life , you bet or you bet your life , walk of life , within an inch of one's life

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲