life-threatening
Americanadjective
Explanation
Something life-threatening is seriously dangerous, and it might even result in death. If someone has a life-threatening illness, it's severe enough that they may need to be hospitalized. You can reassure your mom about the injuries you got when you were hiking up a mountain by saying, "Don't worry, my sprained ankle isn't life-threatening." In other words, it's not going to kill you. Things that are more likely to be life-threatening include cancer, bad head injuries, and run-ins with grizzly bears — they can indeed threaten your life.
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.
London Ambulance Service said the extreme heat on Wednesday led to the highest number of life-threatening emergency calls in a day.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
State investigators said in a report released last week that the camp wasn’t prepared for the disaster, didn’t have a written flood evacuation plan and said some senior leaders ignored life-threatening weather warnings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
The mystery patient reportedly needs retatrutide to treat obesity, sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension—a potentially life-threatening condition Trump hasn’t admitted to having.
From Slate • Jun. 23, 2026
Police Scotland said none of the injuries were life-threatening and an investigation led by counter-terror officers was ongoing.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
The eight-man expedition was pinned down in a ferocious blizzard high on K2, waiting to make an assault on the summit, when a team member named Art Gilkey developed thrombophlebitis, a life-threatening altitude-induced blood clot.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
