life synonyms

life

n.

  1. The fact or act of living

    being, entity, growth, animation, animate existence, endurance, survival, presence, living, consciousness, subsistence, symbiosis, breath, continuance, flesh and blood, animateness, viability, substantiality, mortal being, reproduction, metabolism, vitality, vital spark; see also experience 1.

    Antonyms death*, discontinuance*, nonexistence. *

  2. The sum of one's experiences

    life experience, conduct, behavior, way of life, reaction, response, participation, tide of events, circumstances, unhappiness, realization, knowledge, enlightenment, attainment, development, growth, personality; see also world 1.

  3. A biography

    life story, memoir, memorial; see biography, journal 1, story.

  4. Duration

    lifetime, one's natural life, longevity, actuarial expectancy, period of existence, duration of life, endurance, continuance, span, history, career, course, era, epoch, century, decade, days, generation, time, day, period, life span, season, cycle, record, one's born days*; see also extent, length 3.

  5. One who promotes gaiety

    life-giver, spirit, animator, entertainer, invigorator, life of the party*, master of ceremonies*; see also host 1, hostess 1, 3.

  6. Vital spirit

    vital force, vital principle, lifeblood, élan vital (French); see enthusiasm 1, excitement.

as large (<strong><em>or</em> </strong>big) as life

actually, truly, in fact; see accurately.

bring to life

inspirit, activate, liven, enliven; see animate 1, excite 2.

come to life

revive, awaken, show signs of life; see recover 3, revive 2.

for dear life*

intensely, desperately, for all one is worth; see strongly.

for life

for the duration of one's life, for a long time, as long as one lives; see forever 1.

for the life of me*

by any means, as if one's life were at stake, whatever happens; see anyhow 1.

from life

from a living model, descriptive, representational; see genuine 1.

matter of life and death

crisis, grave concern, something vitally important; see importance 1.

not on your life*

by no means, certainly not, never; see no.

see life

experience, do, act; see live 2.

take a life

deprive of life, murder, destroy; see kill 1.

take one's own life

kill oneself, die by one's own hand, murder; see commit suicide.

true to life

true to reality, realistic, representational; see genuine 1.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.