larger-than-life
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of larger-than-life
First recorded in 1945–50
Explanation
When something is larger-than-life, it seems more important or fascinating than anything else around it. An actor who is mild mannered and shy in person can seem larger-than-life when she's on the stage. You can use this term for something that's actually larger than usual, like Michelangelo's larger-than-life statue "David," which is three times as tall as the average man. It's also a good way to describe someone who is so flashy and flamboyant that they just seem to take up extra room: "My larger-than-life cousin makes every family gathering much more interesting."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fury has become a mainstream celebrity beyond boxing, with his outspoken personality, reality TV appearances and larger-than-life public image.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Audiences seeking the larger-than-life Imax experience will have to look elsewhere — like CityWalk — but Umphenour believes that analog screenings will still draw a crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Unlike some of the past Knicks heroes, from Walt Frazier to Charles Oakley to Latrell Sprewell, these Knicks do not boast larger-than-life personalities.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
At 6-foot-7, Jim Justice, 75, was a larger-than-life figure in West Virginia long before becoming governor and then senator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
On the front of the old Oregon Historical Society building there’s a larger-than-life mural of Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea with her baby, and York with Seaman, the dog that accompanied them on the trip.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
