Meaning & use
a new lease
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
A fresh start or renewed energy and purpose, especially after a difficult period.
Grammar: Usually part of the idiom 'a new lease on/of life'. The full phrase is fixed; you do not say 'a new lease' alone in this meaning.
Patterns
- a new lease on life
- a new lease of life
- give someone a new lease on life
After the operation, he felt he had been given a new lease on life.
The new manager gave the team a new lease of life.
Moving to the countryside gave her a new lease on life.
Common combinations
- a new lease on life
- Winning the prize gave the small theater a new lease on life.
- a new lease of life
- The repairs have given the old building a new lease of life.
- give someone a new lease on life
- Her new job gave her a new lease on life.
- get a new lease on life
- After the treatment, he got a new lease on life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a fresh start
- A fresh start means beginning again, often after a failure; 'a new lease on life' suggests renewed energy and a better future.
- a revival
- A revival is a return to life or activity, often for a thing or organization; 'a new lease on life' can apply to people or things.
Commonly confused: a new lease or a new lease?
a new lease vs a new lease
By itself, 'a lease' is a legal rental agreement. The idiom 'a new lease on life' is figurative and not about renting.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a new lease' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is 'a new lease on life' (or 'of life'), meaning renewed energy, so sentence 2 fits. Sentence 1 and 4 use 'lease' as a rental agreement, which is a different meaning; sentence 3 mixes the idiom with a car rental, which is not natural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a new lease”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.