legend in one's own lifetime
1
7.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
leyenda en vida
- The truth was Garbo had become a legend in her own lifetime, and a legend is the hardest thing to live with.
Examples
-
His philanthropic efforts made him a legend in his own lifetime, admired by communities everywhere.
-
Many musicians become a legend in their own lifetime due to their immense influence and popularity.
-
Despite facing numerous challenges, she became a legend in her own lifetime for her groundbreaking work in education.
Synonyms
256
3.5
A very famous person admired for great achievements
50
1.0
A person many people know because of their achievements
A person admired for important work in art, music, writing, or ideas that change society
Antonyms
How Famous
Surface Forms
Morphology
legend + in + one + own + lifetime
The meaning is directly compositional: 'legend' (renowned person) + 'in' (during/within) + 'one's own lifetime' (during that person's life) yields 'a person who is famous and admired while still alive.' This is a literal, cross-linguistically transparent construction that a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer.
Etymology
Legend in one's own lifetime paints a picture of people telling legend-like stories about someone while that person is still living during their lifetime. So, it means 'a person who is famous and admired while still alive'.