life

lasting until a person dies; describing a commitment, membership, penalty, or relationship that continues without end during a person's existence

• lifelong

  adjectival form, used before nouns (a lifelong friend)

• permanent

  broader meaning; not limited to the span of a human life

• for good

  informal; emphasises finality rather than duration

• temporary

  lasting only for a limited time

the act of dying willingly so that another person or an important cause can be saved or protected

• sacrifice

  can refer to giving up something less than life, e.g. time or comfort

• martyrdom

  specifically dying for a religious or political belief; strong religious connotation

the belief that the conscious part of a person carries on beyond physical death, whether as a spirit, a soul, or in some other state

• afterlife

  the most common synonym; can include heaven, hell, or reincarnation depending on the religion

• the hereafter

  more formal and literary; less common in everyday conversation

• immortality

  focuses on living forever, not necessarily after physical death

• oblivion

  the state of being completely forgotten or ceasing to exist

the particular set of activities, habits, relationships, and experiences that make up a person's daily existence, or a specific area of it such as work, family, or social time

• lifestyle

  focuses on chosen habits and values (diet, exercise, spending), not the whole of daily experience

• way of life

  more formal; often refers to cultural or traditional patterns, not just one person's habits

• daily routine

  narrower; only the regular repeated activities, not the emotional or social experiences

a completely different way of living that someone begins after a major change, such as moving to a new place, leaving a difficult relationship, or recovering from serious problems

• fresh start

  less dramatic than 'new life'; can be used for smaller changes like a new job or a new school

• rebirth

  stronger, more poetic; suggests a complete transformation of identity

• second chance

  focuses on the opportunity to improve after a failure or mistake

the length of time during which a machine, a product, or an organization continues to work or remain useful

• lifespan

  more formal; often used for products or living things

• duration

  broader term; not limited to operational usefulness

• service life

  technical term used in engineering and manufacturing

the set of characteristics that separate living creatures from non-living matter and dead things — for example, the ability to grow, breathe, and reproduce

• existence

  broader; can refer to anything that exists, not just living things

• being

  more philosophical; refers to the state of existing

• death

  the end of life

the natural energy and lively spirit that exists within a person, making them feel enthusiastic and actively engaged in what they do

• energy

  more general; physical or mental power to act

• vitality

  slightly more formal; suggests robust health and energy

• liveliness

  focuses on activity and movement rather than inner energy

• dullness

  lack of interest or excitement

the quality of being made more interesting, vivid, or realistic — used in the phrases 'bring to life' and 'give life to', meaning to make something feel real or exciting

the moment when a machine starts to function or a living thing begins to exist or grow — used in the phrase 'come to life'

the moment when a situation, event, or activity becomes more interesting, lively, or full of energy — used in the phrase 'come to life'

• liven up

  more informal; 'the party livened up when the music started'

• brighten up

  suggests mood improvement rather than general excitement

The state of being alive, growing, or functioning again after a period of being dead, dried out, or broken down.

• revival

  a more formal noun for the event of being restored; e.g. 'economic revival'

• death

  the permanent end of life; the opposite of being alive

the quality that a place, event, or situation gains when it becomes lively and exciting again after being quiet, dull, or inactive

• energy

  more general; 'energy' can apply to a person or situation without implying excitement

• vitality

  more formal; suggests health, strength, and liveliness together

• spark

  informal; suggests a small but noticeable quality that makes something interesting

• dullness

  the state of being boring or lacking interest

All plants, animals, and other living organisms considered together as a group, especially those of a particular type or in a particular place.

• living organisms

  more scientific; includes all forms including microbes

• wildlife

  narrower; refers only to wild animals and plants, not all living things

• biota

  very formal scientific term for all living species in an area

The artistic technique of creating a picture using a real person or object that you can see directly, not from a photo or what you remember.

• from imagination

  creating art using memory or creativity rather than a real subject

• from a photograph

  using a photo as reference instead of a live subject

A legal sentence requiring a person to stay in prison either until they die or for an extremely long duration, sometimes with a chance of early release.

• life imprisonment

  the formal legal term for this punishment

• life in prison

  less formal, commonly used in news reports

A countable chance in a video or board game that lets a player keep playing; once all these chances are used up, the game ends for that player.

• extra life

  refers specifically to a bonus chance added beyond the starting number

• continue

  in arcade-style games; a 'continue' lets you keep playing after losing all lives

• game over

  the state when all lives have been lost and the game ends

A book that records the actual events of a particular person's whole life, written by another author rather than by the person who lived it.

• biography

  the standard, neutral term for a written account of someone's life

• memoir

  often focuses on a specific period or theme rather than the whole life

• profile

  a shorter, less detailed piece that covers key facts and achievements

• autobiography

  a life story written by the person themselves, not by another author

placed before a noun to refer to a type of insurance that pays a fixed sum of money to a person's family when that person dies.