lifelike

adjective

life·​like ˈlīf-ˌlīk 

: accurately representing or imitating real life

a lifelike portrait

lifelikeness noun

Synonyms of lifelike

• realistic
• living
• naturalistic
• natural
• vivid
• three-dimensional

Examples of lifelike in a Sentence

The graphics in the video game are more lifelike than we imagined they would be.

the eyes of the lifelike portrait seem to follow visitors around the room

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond music, the creation of a lifelike AI actress named Tilly Norwood has sparked similarly existential hand-wringing across Hollywood. —Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The company first unveiled its humanoid efforts with the IRON robot at its 2024 AI Day event, showing a robot with lifelike movement and design. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026

The process combines long-standing artistic techniques with modern methods used to capture a lifelike appearance. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026

Users can interact with existing bots or create original chatbots, which are powered by large language models (LLMs), can send lifelike messages and engage in text conversations with users. —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lifelike

• businesslike
• ladylike
• motorbike
• workmanlike
• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike

Kids Definition

lifelike

adjective

life·​like ˈlī-ˌflīk 

: accurately representing or imitating an actual living thing

a lifelike statue

lifelikeness noun