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

But the life-altering event comes not in the form of fulfilling her life’s dream, but as an unexpected cancer diagnosis, handed to her just as she’s scheduled to wrap production on her short.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

Studies show these incidents can have life-altering effects on the surrounding community on everything from depressed home values for more than a decade to increases in risk of cancer and respiratory illness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

I bring this up because “Disclosure Day’s” driving question is how humanity will react to life-altering information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

As I struggled with my confusion, I did something that sounds simple, but was profoundly life-altering: I diversified my news sources.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 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