like her life depended on it
4
7.8
- idiom
:
como si le fuera la vida en ello
- Quit the timorous behavior and fight like your life depends on it.
Examples
-
If I say go, you move like your life depended on it.
-
Why don't you make it like your life depends on it?
-
Now, clean like your life depends on it.
-
Write it down like your life depends on it 'cause it does.
-
Vote like your life depends on it!
Blog text (23) -
So I need you to watch this car like your life depended on it.
-
Fight like your life depended on it.
-
And if another car comes by flag it down like your life depended on it.
-
He dances like his life depends on it.
Fiction book (2000) -
You need to study for the exam like your life depended on it.
Synonyms
366
3.6
In a very urgent way because you feel a strong need or fear
86
7.8
With a lot of energy and very quickly
16
5.9
Very quickly because you are afraid of danger
1
7.6
Act with very strong, urgent energy and full focus
They try very hard and fast, as if they would lose everything
With very strong, uncontrolled energy and effort
Antonyms
How Urgent
4
7.8
366
3.6
51
2.1
98
2.1
103
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
like + her + life + depend + on + it
The simile explicitly presents an imagined scenario — 'her life depended on it' — so the overall meaning of extreme urgency or seriousness is directly inferable from the literal meanings of the constituents and the comparative marker 'like'. This composition follows a common, cross-linguistic simile pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the component words should be able to understand the intended sense.
Etymology
Like her life depended on it paints a vivid picture of someone acting as if their life was at risk, for example a person running for safety and using all their strength. So it is used to say someone does something 'very urgently' or with great effort.