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
In 2013, Bush had a coronary artery stent placed following a severe life-threatening blockage.
—
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
In the early scenes of his new fantasy film geared to families, John Krasinski is seen as a 12-year-old girl’s father who’s in the hospital preparing for what seems to be life-threatening heart surgery.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2024
The officers found another man with injuries not considered life-threatening who was hospitalized.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 13 May 2024
Another male victim, who was found with apparent gunshot trauma, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Gonzalez said.
—Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2024
Three others were being treated for injures that weren't considered life-threatening, police said.
—Cory Peeler, ABC News, 5 May 2024
One person was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Medic reported on X, the former Twitter.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2024
But some can cause mild to life-threatening gastrointestinal illnesses if consumed, the CDC says.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
In the early scenes of his new fantasy film geared to families, John Krasinski is seen as a 12-year-old girl’s father who’s in the hospital preparing for what seems to be life-threatening heart surgery.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2024
The officers found another man with injuries not considered life-threatening who was hospitalized.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 13 May 2024
Another male victim, who was found with apparent gunshot trauma, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Gonzalez said.
—Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2024
Three others were being treated for injures that weren't considered life-threatening, police said.
—Cory Peeler, ABC News, 5 May 2024
One person was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Medic reported on X, the former Twitter.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2024
But some can cause mild to life-threatening gastrointestinal illnesses if consumed, the CDC says.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'life-threatening.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near life-threatening
Cite this Entry
“Life-threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-threatening. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share