Word
life-threatening
威胁生命的；危及生命的
causing fear or worry by threatening serious harm
- 1.
Potentially fatal.
可能致命的。
可能致命的。；威胁生命的
In use
The firefighters arrived quickly because the smoke was life-threatening.
She has a life-threatening allergy, so she always carries an emergency injection.
He described the flood as a life-threatening event that forced everyone to leave.
be life-threatening
用于描述事物本身的性质。
The infection is life-threatening.
这种感染是威胁生命的。
a life-threatening + noun
用于修饰名词，作定语。
He suffered a life-threatening injury.
他遭受了威胁生命的伤害。
life-threatening to sb/sth
后接介词to，表示威胁的对象。
The disease is life-threatening to the elderly.
这种疾病对老年人是威胁生命的。
Common mistakes
Smoking life-threatens your health.Smoking is life-threatening to your health.
错误将形容词'life-threatening'用作动词，应使用系表结构'be life-threatening'来表达'威胁生命'的含义。
He was life-threatening wounded in the accident.His wounds were life-threatening in the accident.
错误将形容词'life-threatening'用作副词修饰动词，应将其改为修饰名词'wounds'，即用系表结构表示'伤口是威胁生命的'。
Connections
Collocations
- life-threatening illness
- 危及生命的疾病
- The doctor told him the infection was a life-threatening illness.医生告诉他，这种感染是一种危及生命的疾病。
- life-threatening injury
- 危及生命的损伤
- She suffered a life-threatening injury in the car crash.她在车祸中受了危及生命的伤。
- life-threatening condition
- 危及生命的状况
- Patients with this life-threatening condition need immediate surgery.患有这种危及生命状况的病人需要立即手术。
- life-threatening situation
- 危及生命的处境
- The climbers found themselves in a life-threatening situation.登山者发现自己处于危及生命的处境。
- life-threatening emergency
- 危及生命的紧急情况
- Call an ambulance immediately in a life-threatening emergency.在危及生命的紧急情况下，立即叫救护车。
Learner notes
Memory Tip
拆成 life（生命）+ threatening（威胁），想象一个生命正被刀架住，危急到可能致命。
Context & Register
语域：neutral 常见场景：medical、news reporting 该词多用于医学、急救和新闻报道等较正式或严肃的场景，表示“可能致命的”；日常口语中较少用到，但语气中立，没有明显褒贬。
Pronunciation & Spelling
真正与 -threatening /ˈθret.nɪŋ/ 押韵的常用词很少；threatening 是直接参考。注意：threat /θret/ 的 ea 读 /e/，不要混同为 treating /ˈtriː.tɪŋ/；sweating /ˈswet.ɪŋ/ 没有 /n/ 音，与 /ˈθret.nɪŋ/ 不同；frightening /ˈfraɪt.nɪŋ/ 和 brightening /ˈbraɪt.nɪŋ/ 拼写相似，但元音是 /aɪ/，不是 /e/。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.