noun
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the blood, considered as vital to sustain life
-
the essential or animating force
Etymology
Origin of lifeblood
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.
Moreover, the cargo ships that carry the world’s lifeblood are intriguing physical spaces that rarely get explored on screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Lender losses drive a contraction of credit availability, the lifeblood of modern economies, leading to slowing economic activity and driving further iterations of the pernicious cycle.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
"If you're competing for media dollars, which is the economic lifeblood of every sport in this country, you need to be constantly improving the product," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
For Pixar, the reliance on “Toy Story” reflects a shift away from originals that used to be its lifeblood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
I told the president that the current conflict was draining South Africa’s lifeblood and talks were the only solution.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
