life-threatening
Americanadjective
Explanation
Something life-threatening is seriously dangerous, and it might even result in death. If someone has a life-threatening illness, it's severe enough that they may need to be hospitalized. You can reassure your mom about the injuries you got when you were hiking up a mountain by saying, "Don't worry, my sprained ankle isn't life-threatening." In other words, it's not going to kill you. Things that are more likely to be life-threatening include cancer, bad head injuries, and run-ins with grizzly bears — they can indeed threaten your life.
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.
"If these findings are confirmed in Phase III trials, we may finally be able to offer patients a targeted therapy that halts and potentially reverses liver damage before it progresses to life-threatening stages."
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
While there were exceptions, such as “a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy,” exactly how and when such an exception would be honored were unclear.
From Salon • May 26, 2026
While trying to use his bear spray canister, he sustained “significant but not life-threatening injuries to his chest and left arm,” according to officials.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
An in-person doctor’s visit is the only reliable way to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy—a life-threatening condition in which an embryo implants outside the uterus.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Dad was watching baseball, Mom was working on her laptop, and I was experiencing a life-threatening level of boredom.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
