life-threatening

[lahyf-thret-ning, -thret-n-ing] / ˈlaɪfˌθrɛt nɪŋ, -ˌθrɛt n ɪŋ /

ADJECTIVE

very dangerous

Synonyms

STRONGEST

deadly lethal mortal serious severe

WEAK

capital critical hazardous threatening touch and go unsafe

Antonyms

STRONGEST

harmless invigorating

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.

Waiting times for ambulances, even the most life-threatening calls, grew with some services turning to the military to help.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

As drug prices soared, many were left without the means to pay for medications for common and life-threatening conditions.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

His son, Sebastien Lai, said the "draconian prison sentence is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father".

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

And Attia largely downplays the risks of overtesting, which can lead to both false positives and the detection of markers that will never develop into life-threatening disease.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 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