lifelike

adjective

ˈlīf-ˌlīk How to pronounce lifelike (audio)
Definition of lifelikenext
as in realistic
closely resembling the object imitated the eyes of the lifelike portrait seem to follow visitors around the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lifelike Those musicians are the band’s bassist Zeta Bosio and drummer Charly Alberti, performing onstage with a lifelike avatar of singer Gustavo Cerati, who died in 2014. — Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 The 1960 series Supercar marked the debut of supermarionation, an electronic system that makes marionettes more lifelike and convincing on screen. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 9 July 2026 Earlier designs of minimal cells, used to test which components are necessary for lifelike behavior, began with existing living cells and reduced the size of their genomes. — Tara Deans, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 One exercise lets sales employees practice pitches with lifelike AI customers that carry on natural conversations and scores employees on aspects like eye contact, filler words, and conciseness. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lifelike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lifelike
  1. realistic
  2. living
  3. naturalistic
  4. natural
  5. vivid
  6. three-dimensional
Adjective
  • While Patchett’s depiction of equine behavior is fairly realistic, the decisions of the main character in this central tale are less so.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Modular systems, portable data and realistic fallback plans keep one dependency from becoming the foundation of the whole business.
    — Atul Sabharwal, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of realistic
Adjective
  • Communal living can look like co-living – where people choose to live with others in one house or building – or co-housing – which is a community built around a group of houses.
    — Brittany Luse, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Rooral only operates in Benarraba, but similar programs are starting to pop up across Spain—like Anceu, which offers a rural co-living program in Galicia.
    — Liz Provencher, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of living
Adjective
  • The result is a twisted, naturalistic fairytale about structural realities; with the right boot-heel at one’s neck, even ostensibly life-giving forces like forests and rivers can be turned against innocent people.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There’s enough footage from the prior films to get you up to speed quickly, and none of the individual story arcs matter nearly as much as the larger sense that each season of human life is worthy of its own naturalistic exploration.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of naturalistic
Adjective
  • Let your confidence come through in choices that feel honest and natural.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • After phasing it out in 2022, the brand brought back the original formula last year in response to fans who missed its weightless feel and natural-looking medium coverage.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • That job needed vivid descriptions that made each performance feel irresistible.
    — Connie Etemadi, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Kilmeade still has vivid recollections of his time visiting Ground Zero on the actual day planes crashed into the two World Trade Center towers.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of vivid
Adjective
  • How world maps compare Maps project a three-dimensional sphere onto a two-dimensional flat space.
    — Jewel Bright, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Once on site, the company generates a three-dimensional model and compares it with the architectural plans.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of three-dimensional

Browse Nearby Words

lifelessness
lifelike
lifelong
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifelike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lifelike. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stigma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All