larger

To be (or seem) more important, impressive, or exciting than the average person or thing. Celebrities are always larger than life to their fans. Have you seen the new stadium? It really seems like it's larger than life when you're inside.

Cliché a colorful way of saying that a person or a thing appeared, often surprisingly or dramatically, in a particular place. (*Also: as ~.) The little child just stood there as big as life and laughed very hard. I opened the door, and there was Tom as large as life. I came home and found this cat in my chair, as big as life and twice as ugly.

Fig. in person; actually, and sometimes surprisingly, present at a place. (*Also: as ~.) I thought Jack was away, but there he was as large as life. Jean was not expected to appear, but she turned up large as life.

Fig. [of someone] having an aura of greatness, perhaps not supported by the real person. Perry seemed larger than life to those who had only read about him. To the rest of us, he was a boor. To the children, the star athlete who spoke at the school assembly seemed larger than life.

more interesting and more exciting than an ordinary person or thing He may not live like a rock star, but in the eyes of his fans he's larger than life. You have to be bigger than life to make it in Times Square, and this restaurant wasn't.

if someone is larger than life, they attract a lot of attention because they are more exciting and interesting than most people Most characters in his films are somewhat larger than life.

Also, large as life. In person, as in And there was Mary, big as life, standing right in front of me. This phrase transfers the same size as in real life (life-size) to an actual appearance. Sometimes this term is embellished with and quite as natural, presumably alluding to a likeness of a person or thing that closely resembles the real thing. A similar addition is and twice as natural, which doesn't make sense. [Late 1800s]

Also, larger than life. See big as life.