undead

adjective

un·​dead ˌən-ˈded How to pronounce undead (audio)
: not dead : returned from or as if from death
It may be someone I don't want to see—from the undead past, an ex-lover, my ex-best friend.Lynne Tillman
especially, in stories about vampires and zombies : reanimated after death by supernatural means
undead creatures
We would all recognize a vampire if we saw one, that 'undead' soul who rises from the grave to gorge himself upon the blood of the living, thereby creating further generations of vampires. Roy Porter
often used as a collective noun
Zombies apparently never brush. Witness the rotten chompers flashed by lumbering hordes of hungry undead in this dexterous thriller … People
used especially as the undead
A brainy young philosophy graduate student … gets sucked into the nightmare world of the undead in Abel Ferrara's black-and-white indie vampire tale. Entertainment Weekly

Examples of undead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Robert Eggers is bringing a classic vampire story back from the undead. Vulture, 1 Oct. 2022 Outside, Joel and Ellie listen to the shrieks of the burning undead. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023 The series stars Jacob Batalon as Reginald Andres, navigating obstacles in the undead life — like a bully boss and an unrequited crush — while figuring out his own powers. Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 Jan. 2023 Capitalizing on the resurgence of the bloodsucking undead, Waititi flips the script. Deanna Janes, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 July 2022 After surviving a near-fatal car accident, a young church organist (Candace Hilligoss) tries to move on with her life, but remains haunted by visions of the undead. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2023 Storm Reid appears on a merry-go-round as Riley, adding some humanity to the spectacle of the undead. Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022 On his way home from a battle, he was recruited into the undead lifestyle by Maria. Absurdity, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2022 Zombies took over downtown Elgin Saturday night, creating a Nightmare on Chicago Street that brought out thousands of people for scenes of horror, creepy costumes and oddities like undead baby dolls for sale. Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 23 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undead was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near undead

Cite this Entry

“Undead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undead. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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