English

Alternative forms

• all one's life is worth
• all that one's life is worth
• all that one's life's worth

Noun

all one's life's worth

1. (idiomatic) A momentous matter; a very serious risk; a difficult task or situation.
   • 1889, Edward L. Wilson, "From Sinai to Shechem," The Century Magazine, vol. 37, p. 208 (Google preview):

     Many of its streets are cavern-like, for they run under the houses. . . . There is no regularity of style about them, and it is all one's life is worth to try to find the way among them without a guide and a torch.

   • 1907, B. M. Bower, The Happy Family, ch. 7:

     "I'm going to take a much-needed nap—and it'll be all your life's worth to let me miss that train!"

   • 1907, George Jean Nathan and Henry Louis Mencken (eds.), The Smart Set: A Magazine of Cleverness, vol. 23, p. 23 (Google snippet view):

     "It's all one's life is worth to board one of these confounded cable-cars."

   • 1912, Acton Davies and Charles Frederic Nirdlinger, The First Lady in the Land, ch. 15:

     "Fancy planting a capitol in this Godforsaken spot. Fairly reeks of ague and alligators and things. 'Tis all one's life's worth to put foot out of doors."

   • 1962, District of Columbia Appropriations, U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 217 (Google snippet view):

     It is particularly bad out in front of the House Office Building between 5 and 7 o'clock in the evening. It is all your life is worth to get a cab then.

   • 2007, Elridge Trott, Gathering at Vantage, ISBN 9781467032292, p. 242 (Google preview):

     "[I]t's about all your life's worth to go out into that blizzard, even for just a few feet."

   • 2013, Anne Hassett, The Sojourn, ISBN 9781466997905, p. 13 (Google preview):

     "I'm afraid you need to wait until the women say you can come in. It would be all your life's worth to go bustin in now."

Usage notes

• Usually preceded by some form of "It is".