the dead
noun
: the state of being dead
—usually used in the phrases rise from the dead or come back from the dead or return from the dead to mean to become alive again after dying
For a moment, I thought that my grandfather had come back from the dead.
They believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
Examples of the dead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Affectless language, the lack of anything like a writer’s idiosyncratic style, is the dead giveaway that nobody’s home.
—
Karen Stabiner, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Are the dead absent, or is time somehow an illusion?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Many years ago, Lakota elder and tribal historian Victor Douville was traveling through the Black Hills of South Dakota in the dead of winter.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Among the dead were around 200 members of the security forces and others aligned with the government, HRANA said.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the dead
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Karen Stabiner, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Are the dead absent, or is time somehow an illusion?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Many years ago, Lakota elder and tribal historian Victor Douville was traveling through the Black Hills of South Dakota in the dead of winter.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Among the dead were around 200 members of the security forces and others aligned with the government, HRANA said.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the dead
Cite this Entry
“The dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20dead. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
