lifesaver

See also: Lifesaver

English

Alternative forms

• life-saver, life saver

Etymology

From life +‎ saver.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪvə(ɹ)

Noun

lifesaver (plural lifesavers)

1. Someone or something that saves lives.

   My dad loves his job as a surf lifesaver.

   Paramedics are not just ordinary workers, but lifesavers with a very important job.

   • 2021 March 23, Natalie Grover, Denis Campbell, “Dexamethasone hailed as lifesaver for up to a million Covid patients worldwide”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Dexamethasone hailed as lifesaver for up to a million Covid patients worldwide [title]

2. (figuratively) Someone or something that is very useful or helpful.

   Synonyms: boon, godsend

   Thank you so much for fixing my car; you're a real lifesaver!

   This shop is a lifesaver on a hot day when you're craving a cold drink.

   • 2021 August 26, Rachel Obordo, “‘Netflix is a lifesaver!’ The over-65s embracing the streaming boom”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have been lifesavers during the pandemic. Having both is ideal.

Synonyms

• (someone saving lives): lifeguard, rescuer
• (something saving lives): life buoy (UK), life preserver (US), life ring

Translations

that saves lives

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 救生員 / 救生员 (zh) (jiùshēngyuán), 救命者 (jiùmìngzhě)

• Finnish: hengenpelastaja (fi)
• French: secouriste (fr) m or f, sauveteur (fr) m
• German: Lebensretter (de) m
• Japanese: ライフセーバー (raifusēbā)
• Maori: manapou
• Russian: спаса́тель (ru) m (spasátelʹ), спаса́тельница (ru) f (spasátelʹnica) (professional), спаси́тель (ru) m (spasítelʹ), спаси́тельница (ru) f (spasítelʹnica) (savior)
• Slovak: záchranár m, záchranárka f
• Telugu: ప్రాణదాత (te) (prāṇadāta)

that is useful

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 救星 (zh) (jiùxīng), 救命稻草 (jiùmìng dàocǎo), 救命草 (jiùmìngcǎo)

• Finnish: suuri apu, pelastaja (fi), pelastus (fi)
• German: Segen (de) m, Rettungsanker m, rettender Anker m
• Japanese: 天与 (ja) (てんよ, ten'yo)
• Russian: я́корь спасе́ния m (jákorʹ spasénija) (person), па́лочка-выруча́лочка (ru) f (páločka-vyručáločka) (thing)