bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
noun
The state of being, existing, or occurring; beinghood.
In order to destroy evil, we must first acknowledge its existence.
Fortunate it is for the tranquillity of the new-born infant, if he have any turn for philosophy, that he understands none of the nonsense consecrated by old usage to the commencement of existence.
Empirical reality; the substance of the physical universe. (Dictionary of Philosophy; 1968)
ADJ
actual, real
Many people question whether unicorns have any real existence outside of fairy tales.
brief
continued, future
very
Without clean water, the survival of the entire village was threatened in a very real existence.
mere
The mere existence of a written agreement gave her some peace of mind.
autonomous, independent, separate
After moving out, she finally had an autonomous existence and could make her own decisions.
human
Throughout history, philosophers have debated the purpose of human existence.
material, physical
social
VERB + EXISTENCE
be in
This ancient tradition has been in existence for over three hundred years in our family.
come into, spring into
The new restaurant came into existence after the owner saved money for five years.
be crushed out of, go out of
The small family business was crushed out of existence by competition from large supermarkets.
bring sth into, call sth into
The new technology was called into existence by the company's need to solve an urgent problem.
be aware of, know of
be unaware of
assert
assume, postulate, presuppose
The new model postulates the existence of undiscovered particles that explain dark matter.
accept, acknowledge, believe in, recognize
Many scientists now recognize the existence of water on Mars.
deny
doubt
imply, indicate, suggest
discover, reveal
confirm, demonstrate, establish, prove
disprove
explain
Scientists have struggled to explain the existence of dinosaurs for hundreds of years.
justify
forget, ignore
My younger brother seemed to forget my existence whenever his friends came over.
resent
My older brother has always resented my existence because he was an only child for five years.
jeopardize, threaten
Pollution continues to jeopardize the existence of many endangered animals worldwide.
owe
Many small businesses owe their existence to the hard work and determination of their founders.
be vital to
Clean water is vital to human existence in every part of the world.
EXISTENCE + VERB
depend on/upon sth
The survival of the small island community depends upon fishing and tourism.
PREP
in ~
There are thousands of different languages in existence around the world today.
PHRASES
a mode of existence
After losing his job, he struggled to adjust to his new mode of existence.
the struggle for existence
Many people around the world face a daily struggle for existence just to feed their families.
ADJ
bare, frugal, hand-to-mouth, miserable, precarious
After losing his job, he struggled through a precarious existence while searching for steady work.
comfortable, ordered, peaceful, quiet
dull, humdrum, routine
isolated, lonely, solitary
nomadic
rural, suburban, urban
daily, day-to-day, everyday
previous, prior
She wondered if her ancestors had lived better lives in a prior existence.
VERB + EXISTENCE
enjoy, have, lead, live
eke out, endure
Many refugees had to endure a difficult existence in overcrowded camps for years.
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
In order to destroy evil, we must first acknowledge its existence.
WiktionaryFortunate it is for the tranquillity of the new-born infant, if he have any turn for philosophy, that he understands none of the nonsense consecrated by old usage to the commencement of existence.
WiktionaryHowever, with the dainty volume my quondam friend sprang into fame. At the same time he cast off the chrysalis of a commonplace existence.
WiktionaryHeat and light are necessary for our existence.
Tatoeba · #23503Malaysia came into existence in 1957.
Tatoeba · #32310The main point of Dennett's book, in short, is to deny the existence of inner mental states.
Tatoeba · #39372