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Synonyms

lifelike

American  
[lahyf-lahyk] / ˈlaɪfˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. resembling or simulating real life.

    a lifelike portrait.
lifelike British  
/ ˈlaɪfˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. closely resembling or representing life

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • lifelikeness noun
  • unlifelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of lifelike

First recorded in 1605–15; life + -like

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The rapid evolution of AI means that these videos are becoming more lifelike all the time.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

"In the recent past, creating lifelike visuals took some effort. However now, with AI, this can be done instantly, making such content available to politicians on command."

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

The “M3GAN” dolls were so lifelike, and the real sell wasn’t their eyes that draw you in, but the skin.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Digital artists then worked alongside the scientists to create lifelike reconstructions that showed how the duckbill would have looked and moved as it walked across soft mud near the very end of the dinosaur age.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

Cristiana could also limn with skill, painting lifelike birds and flowers and faces I could recognize as those of Gertrude and her ladies.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.