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Synonyms

life-changing

American  
[lahyf-chaynj-ing] / ˈlaɪfˌtʃeɪndʒ ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. resulting in a major and usually positive change or reorientation of one's life (typically used of an experience that is eye-opening, awesome, etc.). Compare life-altering.

Other Word Forms

  • life-changingly adverb

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.

He said quick treatment was essential to increase the chances of survival and to avoid life-changing disabilities, such as loss of limbs, blindness and brain injury.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Use your teenage and college years to build something epic, so that if you succeed, it’s life-changing money instead of a side hustle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

And if you want to invest, you have a few smart options that could actually be somewhat life-changing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Successful models can earn tens of thousands of dollars in a season, a life-changing amount in South Sudan where 92 percent live under the poverty line.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

"How could you like us both? Did you have a life-changing head injury in junior high?"

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

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.