new lease on life

Idioms

A fresh start; renewed vigor and good health, as in Since they bought his store Dad has had a new lease on life. This term with its allusion to a rental agreement dates from the early 1800s and originally referred only to recovery from illness. By the mid-1800s it was applied to any kind of fresh beginning.

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.

While the short-term bump has been great, locals are really hoping for a new lease on life for their deserted mall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

"It's like a new lease on life I never expected at my advanced age," 74-year-old Jagari says on a call from New Zealand, the final stop on WITCH's 2025 world tour.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025

"So that's been really exciting and I haven't really told anyone. I have a new lease on life on court."

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

Williams, the inmate who was 18 when he committed the crime that sent him to death row, said his new lease on life is similarly bittersweet.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

Now, I thought, the clubs will be given a new lease on life.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023