lifesaver
Americannoun
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lifesavers
plural
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a person who rescues another from danger of death, especially from drowning.
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a person or thing that saves a person, as from a difficult situation or critical moment.
That money was a lifesaver.
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Chiefly British. a lifeguard.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lifesaver
First recorded in 1880–85; life + saver ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
They had not needed a car at their previous home and they said the buses were a "lifesaver".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
There was no way, with my brain fog, I could have remembered everything my oncologists told me and having so much information-—including the visit summary notes-—in one place was an absolute lifesaver.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
“A stroller is a lifesaver here,” Woodruff said as mothers cradling young children appeared from every direction as they climbed the winding dirt paths.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
Freezing ensures that your ingredients stay fresh for longer, cuts down on waste, helps you save money with fewer grocery trips and is a lifesaver on days when you don’t want to cook.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
To this lifesaver, she tied the fishing line from my father’s bamboo pole.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
Surf lifesavers across the country were joining the homage in solidarity before starting their morning patrols.
From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025
"Clients have said to us that we're lifesavers and without us people have admitted they would be forced to shoplift just to survive," Mr Lucas said.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2025
For those of us at high risk these are literally lifesavers.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2022
Parents trained as lifesavers are their guides in the water, wearing orange rashies to further brighten the scene.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2021
And then the lifesavers atop Lookout Hill fired another rocket into the wet sky, and I whirled in its light to see where the ship had foundered.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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