Synonyms of life in English:

life

See US English definition of life

See UK English definition of life

See Spanish definition of vida

noun

1‘the joy of giving life to a child’

SYNONYMS

existence, being, living, animation, aliveness, animateness

entity, sentience, creation, survival, viability

rare esse

ANTONYMS

death, non-existence

2‘armaments that threaten to eliminate life on the planet’

SYNONYMS

living things, living beings, living creatures, the living

animal life, human life, plant life, fauna, flora, ecosystems, creatures, wildlife

human beings, humanity, humankind, mankind, man, human activity

literary flesh

3‘inshore fishing isn't an easy life’

SYNONYMS

way of life, way of living, manner of living, lifestyle, situation, position, state, station, condition, set of circumstances, fate, lot

sphere, field, line, career, business

4‘I hadn't talked to my father for the last nine months of his life’

SYNONYMS

lifetime, life span, days, duration of life, allotted span, course of life, time on earth, existence, one's time, one's career, threescore years and ten, this mortal coil

informal one's born days

5‘the Parliament Bill introduced a limit of five years for the life of any Parliament’

SYNONYMS

duration, active life, lifetime, existence, functioning period, period of effectiveness, period of usefulness, validity, efficacy

6‘he is happy and full of life in his new job’

SYNONYMS

vivacity, animation, liveliness, vitality, verve, high spirits, sparkle, exuberance, zest, buoyancy, effervescence, enthusiasm, energy, vigour, dynamism, go, elan, gusto, brio, bounce, spirit, spiritedness, activity, fire, panache, colour, dash, drive, push

business, bustle, hustle and bustle, movement, stir

informal oomph, pizzazz, pep, zing, zip, vim, get-up-and-go

7‘his mother would be the life of the party’

SYNONYMS

moving spirit, moving force, animating spirit, vital spirit, spirit, vital spark, life force, lifeblood, essence, core, heart, soul, strength, quintessence, substance

élan vital

8‘more than 1,500 lives were lost in the accident’

SYNONYMS

person, human being, individual, mortal, soul, creature

9‘I was reading a life of Chopin’

SYNONYMS

biography, autobiography, life story, life history, memoir, history, profile

diary, journal, confessions

record, chronicle, account, report, portrayal, depiction, portrait

informal biog, bio

10‘I'll miss you, but there it is, that's life’

SYNONYMS

the way of the world, the world, the way things go, the way of it, the human condition, the times we live in, the usual state of affairs, the school of hard knocks

fate, destiny, providence, kismet, karma, fortune, luck, chance

North American informal the way the cookie crumbles

Phrases

for dear life

‘she was holding on for dear life’

SYNONYMS

desperately, with all one's might, with might and main, urgently, with urgency, vigorously, with as much vigour as possible, for all one is worth, as fast as possible, as hard as possible, like the devil

give one's life

1‘he's devoted to his queen and would give his life for her’

SYNONYMS

die, lay down one's life, sacrifice oneself

die to save, offer one's life, surrender one's life

2‘he gave his life to the company and could have expected some support from them’

SYNONYMS

dedicate oneself, devote oneself, give oneself, commit oneself, pledge oneself, surrender oneself

come to life

1‘he could hear the familiar sounds of a barracks coming to life’

SYNONYMS

become active, become lively, come alive, wake up, awaken, waken, show signs of life, arouse, rouse, stir, emerge