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Glite Dictionary
true-to-life

true-to-life

4.2
Very similar to real life and easy to imagine
  • adjective
  • /truː tə laɪf/
translation icon : realista
  • Many people appreciated the book's true-to-life portrayal of daily struggles and triumphs.

Examples

  • So that that's really it is making that that really true, true to life statement of Clint in this moment.

  • But adding a real-life component to the models can bring about a more true-to-life depiction of how diseases spread through populations, according to the Socio Patterns project.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The movie's characters and events felt true-to-life, reflecting real experiences and emotions.

  • Her painting captured the essence of the city in such a true-to-life manner that you felt as if you were walking the streets.

Synonyms

realistic
vstrue-to-life
65 4.1

Showing things as they are in real life

focuses on very close, detailed accuracy instead of broader truthful depiction
lifelike
vstrue-to-life
22 3.9

That looks and moves like a real person or animal

shows accurate overall representation not only surface appearance
true to life
vstrue-to-life
3 4.1

Very similar to real life in looks and detail

is the hyphenated compound used mainly as an adjective form
photorealistic
vstrue-to-life
1 7.0

An image that looks almost exactly like a real photograph

is broader, showing close natural accuracy not limited to photographic likeness

Antonyms

unrealistic
96 4.0

Not having a sensible idea of what can be done in real life

fantastical
21 8.0

Very strange and like something made up in dreams or stories

How Realistic

true-to-life
4.2
realistic
65 4.1
stylized
11 5.9

Surface Forms

true-to-life positive

Morphology

true-to-life = true + life (transparent) = true + to + life

The adjective is a direct compound from 'true' + 'to' + 'life' and its meaning 'lifelike; realistic' follows straightforward compositional logic.

Etymology

True-to-life comes from the simple parts true ('real') and life ('everyday life'). It means something shows people or events exactly as they are, so a true-to-life picture or story feels very realistic.