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
See all Example Sentences for life-threatening 
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
See all Example Sentences for life-threatening
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Life-threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-threatening. Accessed 29 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
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