life

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Fact of existence

Nouns

1. life, vitality, existence, being, living, animation, this mortal coil; vital force, flame, or spark, biorhythm; respiration, breath [of life], lifeblood, life force, vivification, revivification, resurgence. See reproduction, organic matter.

2. life sciences; physiology, zoology, botany, biology, embryology, biochemistry, biophysics, anatomy, bacteriology, biometry, bionics, biotechnology, bryology, cell biology or physiology, cytology, dendrology, embryology, endocrinology, entomology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethology, evolution, exobiology, genetics, hematology, herpetology, immunology, mammalogy, microbiology, molecular biology, mycology, neurobiology, ornithology, paleontology, parasitology, phycology, physiology, phytology; behaviorism, ecology.

3. (life functions) anabolism, catabolism, chemosynthesis, cytokinesis, exo-cytosis, glycolysis, mitosis, osmosis, photosynthesis, respiration, breathing, atrophy, autoregulation, biosynthesis, catabolism, defecation, digestion, excretion, expiration, extension, feedback, fermentation, inspiration, metabolism, micturition, respiration, secretion, ventilation. See reproduction.

4. the living, the quick (see humanity).

Verbs

1. live, be alive, be, breathe, respire, subsist, exist, walk the earth.

2. see the light, be born, come into the world, draw breath, quicken, come to [life]. See restoration.

3. give birth to, bring to life, put life into, [re]vitalize, revive, vivify, [re]animate, keep alive, keep body and soul together, keep the wolf from the door, support life.

Adjectives

1. living, alive, vital, existing, extant, in the flesh, in the land of the living, breathing, quick, animated, lively, alive and kicking.

2. life-giving, generative, fecund, seminal, germinal; vivifying, animative, invigorating, exhilarating.

3. pro-life, right-to-life.

Phrases — life's a bitch, and then you die.

Quotations — Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man (Shakespeare), Life is an incurable disease (Abraham Cowley), Life, like a dome of many-colored glass, stains the white radiance of Eternity until Death tramples it to fragments (Percy Bysshe Shelley), The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation (Henry Thoreau), Life would be tolerable but for its amusements (George Cornewall Lewis), Life is just one damned thing after another (Elbert Hubbard), Life is just a bowl of cherries (Lew Brown), Life is first boredom, then fear (Philip Larkin), A living dog is better than a dead lion (Bible).

Antonyms, see death.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [The fact or act of living]

Syn. being, entity, growth, animation, animate existence, endurance, survival, presence, living, consciousness, subsistence, symbiosis, breath, continuance, flesh and blood, animateness, viability, substantiality, mortal being, reproduction, metabolism, vitality, vital spark; see also experience 1 .

Ant. death*, discontinuance, nonexistence.

2. [The sum of one's experiences]

Syn. life experience, conduct, behavior, way of life, reaction, response, participation, tide of events, circumstances, unhappiness, realization, knowledge, enlightenment, attainment, development, growth, personality; see also world 1 .

3. [A biography]

Syn. life story, memoir, memorial; see biography , journal 1 , story .

4. [Duration]

Syn. lifetime, one's natural life, longevity, actuarial expectancy, period of existence, duration of life, endurance, continuance, span, history, career, course, era, epoch, century, decade, days, generation, time, day, period, life span, season, cycle, record, one's born days*; see also extent , length 3 .

5. [One who promotes gaiety]

Syn. life-giver, spirit, animator, entertainer, invigorator, life of the party*, master of ceremonies*; see also host 1 , hostess 1 , 3 .

6. [Vital spirit]

Syn. vital force, vital principle, lifeblood, élan vital (French); see enthusiasm 1 , excitement .

• as large ( or [m1]• big) as life,

Syn. actually, truly, in fact; see accurately .

• bring to life,

Syn. inspirit, activate, liven, enliven; see animate 1 , excite 2 .

• come to life,

Syn. revive, awaken, show signs of life; see recover 3 , revive 2 .

• for dear life*,

Syn. intensely, desperately, for all one is worth; see strongly .

• for life,

Syn. for the duration of one's life, for a long time, as long as one lives; see forever 1 .

• for the life of me*,

Syn. by any means, as if one's life were at stake, whatever happens; see anyhow 1 .

• from life,

Syn. from a living model, descriptive, representational; see genuine 1 .

• matter of life and death,

Syn. crisis, grave concern, something vitally important; see importance 1 .

• not on your life*,

Syn. by no means, certainly not, never; see no .

• see life,

Syn. experience, do, act; see live 2 .

• take a life,

Syn. deprive of life, murder, destroy; see kill 1 .

• take one's own life,

Syn. kill oneself, die by one's own hand, murder; see commit suicide .

• true to life,

Syn. true to reality, realistic, representational; see genuine 1 .

II modif.

Syn. decisive, crucial, necessary, critical; see important 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. existence being, vitality, animation, viability, consciousness, flesh and blood, organism. ''A vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. —Bible. ''A little gleam of time between two eternities. —Thomas Carlyle. ''A play. It s not in its length, but its performance that counts. —Seneca.

2. liveliness vigor, spirit, energy, animation, zest, vivacity, heart, enthusiasm.

3. lifespan life expectancy, duration, longevity, course, length, period.

4. trials and tribulations peaks and valleys, the human condition, vicissitudes, *hand one is dealt, survival of the fittest. ''A bridge of groans across a stream of tears. —Philip Bailey. ''One long process of getting tired. —Samuel Butler. ''Like eating artichokes—you ve got to go through so much to get so little. —T.A. Dorgan. ''A Bpicture script. —KirkDouglas. ''Anonion, and one peels it crying. —French proverb.

ANT.: death, nonexistence, oblivion

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. A lively, emphatic, eager quality or manner: animation, bounce, brio, dash, élan, esprit, liveliness, pertness, sparkle, spirit, verve, vigor, vim, vivaciousness, vivacity, zip. Informal: ginger, pep, peppiness. Slang: oomph. See ACTION. 2. A member of the human race: being, body, creature, homo, human, human being, individual, man, mortal, party, person, personage, soul. See BEINGS. 3. The period during which someone or something exists: day (often used in plural), duration, existence, lifetime, span, term. See LIVE, TIME.