life-threatening
adjective
life-threat·en·ing
ˈlīf-ˌthre-tᵊn-iŋ 
-ˌthret-niŋ
: capable of causing death : potentially fatal
a life-threatening disease/condition
The injuries are serious but not life-threatening.
Examples of life-threatening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Female screwworms lay hundreds of eggs in the wounds and openings of warm-blooded creatures, allowing their larvae to feast on the living animals, causing deep, festering, life-threatening wounds.
—
ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Both the officer and passenger were hospitalized for life-threatening injuries.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In Massachusetts, hospitalizations for septicemia — the body’s catastrophic response to infection, a condition that is genuinely life-threatening and expensive to treat — have more than tripled since 2010, reaching more than 42,000 cases in the year ending last September.
—Darshak Sanghavi, STAT, 3 June 2026
His condition deteriorated to life-threatening soon after, but his condition was stabilized.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
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ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Both the officer and passenger were hospitalized for life-threatening injuries.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In Massachusetts, hospitalizations for septicemia — the body’s catastrophic response to infection, a condition that is genuinely life-threatening and expensive to treat — have more than tripled since 2010, reaching more than 42,000 cases in the year ending last September.
—Darshak Sanghavi, STAT, 3 June 2026
His condition deteriorated to life-threatening soon after, but his condition was stabilized.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-threatening
Cite this Entry
“Life-threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-threatening. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
life-threatening
adjective
life-threat·en·ing
ˈlīf-ˌthret-ən-iŋ
: capable of causing death : potentially fatal
life-threatening injuries
a life-threatening allergic reaction
life-threatening arrhythmia
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