Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

lifeboat

American  
[lahyf-boht] / ˈlaɪfˌboʊt /

noun

  1. a double-ended ship's boat, constructed, mounted, and provisioned so as to be readily able to rescue and maintain persons from a sinking vessel.

  2. a similarly constructed boat used by shore-based rescue services.

lifeboat British  
/ ˈlaɪfˌbəʊt /

noun

  1. a boat, propelled by oars or a motor, used for rescuing people at sea, escaping from a sinking ship, etc

  2. informal a fund set up by the dealers in a market to rescue any member who may become insolvent as a result of a collapse in market prices

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lifeboat

First recorded in 1795–1805; life + boat

Explanation

A lifeboat is a small boat that's kept on a bigger ship in case of emergency. It’s much more fun than a deathboat. Large ships usually have enough lifeboats for every passenger on board. Hear that, Titanic? When the giant ship Titanic sank, there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone. If you’re on a ship that’s going down, a lifeboat (one word) could save your life. Some lifeboats are made of hard materials like fiberglass, while others are inflatable. Another kind of lifeboat is launched from shore or a Coast Guard ship to rescue people who need help at sea, if, for example, they're on a sinking fishing boat.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

For Katherine Diaz of Torrance, the “KPop Demon Hunters” craze has been a welcome lifeboat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

"It was mad how quickly the sea came in and I was definitely panicking but I felt a lot of relief when the lifeboat came into view," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

"What struck me wasn't necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbingly in the universe," said Koch.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“The big question is, if the war actually ends fully by the end of the month, is that enough of a lifeboat that we really don’t see a ton of demand destruction?”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The strange sailor had not made it to a lifeboat.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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.