life-altering

American  

[lahyf-awl-ter-ing] / ˈlaɪfˌɔl tər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. resulting in a major and usually negative or challenging change in one's life (typically used of an injury, diagnosis, or the like.). Compare life-changing.

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Other Word Forms

• life-alteringly
  adverb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

life-altering

But the life-altering event comes not in the form of fulfilling her life’s dream, but as an unexpected cancer diagnosis, handed to her just as she’s scheduled to wrap production on her short.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

As I struggled with my confusion, I did something that sounds simple, but was profoundly life-altering: I diversified my news sources.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

The MIB said someone in the UK was affected by uninsured or hit-and-run drivers every 20 minutes, with one person each day suffering life-altering injuries.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

And as the virus continues to circulate, more people are being forced to reckon with a life-altering yet often invisible disability whose relative newness offers few answers for the future and few avenues for support.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026

How was I supposed to have a life-altering talk with August with all this going on?

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd