life-altering

American  

[lahyf-awl-ter-ing] / ˈlaɪfˌɔl tər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. resulting in a major and usually negative or challenging change in one's life (typically used of an injury, diagnosis, or the like.). Compare life-changing.

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Other Word Forms

• life-alteringly
  adverb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

life-altering

When he chose to move to Arizona to do work for the party, the breakup propelled Livia into a spiral of life-altering disasters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

At its worst, cognitive impairment can be a horrible, life-altering disease for patient and loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Liberal Democrats are calling for one-to-one midwife care for women in labour, as figures suggest life-altering childbirth injuries in England have reached record levels.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Even beyond the black market, the glamorization of testosterone often glosses over the primary, life-altering side effect: reduced fertility.

From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026

For Della Mae, as for many other Berea students, the experience of being one among many poor people, all academically capable and encouraged to pursue big dreams, was life-altering.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times