life-and-death
16
6.1
- adjective
- /ˈlaɪf ənd dɛθ/
:
de vida o muerte
- She faced a life-and-death situation when the floodwaters rapidly rose around her home.
- a life-and-death struggle
- a life-and-death decision
- life-and-death issues
Examples
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In surgery, the doctors often make life-and-death decisions that can determine a patient's survival.
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It's a life-and-death situation, so move over, buddy.
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I saw him work through issues that he knew had life and death consequences.
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You are the last person I wanna be stuck with in a life-and-death situation.
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You're gonna be out there on your own making life and death decisions.
-
American citizens vote for people who make life-and-death decisions for millions outside our borders.
Blog text (32) -
Especially in a flu pandemic, this could make a life-and-death difference for millions of people.
Blog text (20) -
She'd been forced to make life-and-death decisions without the counsel of family or the comfort of her husband.
Fiction book (2001) -
Detective Russell Logan has been taken off the critical list after a dramatic life-and-death struggle in the early morning hours.
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I think it is because she's been a nurse and has seen so many life-and-death situations that little things are not as important.
Academic text (1992)
Synonyms
95
4.6
A very serious situation where someone may not survive
66
4.3
Dangerous enough to cause death
28
6.7
A very serious situation that may cause death if you do not act
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Life-and-death puts the two clear words life ('living') and death ('the end of life') side by side to make a strong picture of what is most serious. So, calling a choice or situation life-and-death means it is extremely serious and could decide whether someone lives or dies.