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

Prism of Gloom, where even a non-setback setback must be considered as a possible life-altering crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Women can experience a range of symptoms depending on where their endometriosis is, or which organs are stuck together with scar tissue, but the hallmark of this condition is bone-grinding, life-altering pain.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Did we reward him for this stupendous, life-altering, lifesaving discovery?

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

She had absolutely zero intentions of going out to her mom’s rehab center, not when she had possibly life-altering plans with Grace and Joaquin.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway