‘夺命’ literally means ‘to seize life’ — combining 夺 (duó, ‘to seize, snatch, take by force’) and 命 (mìng, ‘life, fate, destiny’). As an adjective, it describes something that is extremely dangerous or potentially fatal, often implying sudden, violent, or unexpected loss of life. It carries strong dramatic or literary weight and is commonly used in contexts involving serious illness, accidents, natural disasters, or hazardous conditions.

The term is rarely used in casual speech but appears frequently in news reports, medical discussions, safety warnings, and literary or cinematic descriptions. While not a standalone noun, it functions attributively before nouns (e.g., 夺命车祸 ‘life-taking accident’) or predicatively with 是 or 很 (e.g., 这病毒很夺命). Its tone is grave and urgent, signaling high risk or lethality.