lifelike

American  

[lahyf-lahyk] / ˈlaɪfˌlaɪk /

adjective

1. resembling or simulating real life.

   a lifelike portrait.

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lifelike British  

/ ˈlaɪfˌlaɪk /

adjective

1. closely resembling or representing life

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Other Word Forms

• lifelikeness noun
• unlifelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of lifelike

First recorded in 1605–15; life + -like

Explanation

Lifelike things look real, but they're not. A lifelike wax figure might look just like Queen Elizabeth, but it's actually a realistic statue. An artist whose style is described as "realism" probably paints very lifelike scenes, producing paintings that look a lot like photographs. A child's doll might be disturbingly lifelike, made to look like a real live baby. As with many words, this one started life in the seventeenth century with a completely different meaning, "likely to live." The current definition came along about a hundred years later.

Example Sentences

The rapid evolution of AI means that these videos are becoming more lifelike all the time.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

"In the recent past, creating lifelike visuals took some effort. However now, with AI, this can be done instantly, making such content available to politicians on command."

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

The “M3GAN” dolls were so lifelike, and the real sell wasn’t their eyes that draw you in, but the skin.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Digital artists then worked alongside the scientists to create lifelike reconstructions that showed how the duckbill would have looked and moved as it walked across soft mud near the very end of the dinosaur age.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

In most cases, however, her paintings are so precise and lifelike that even today they could be used as a field guide to European and Surinamese insects.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

• authentic