Definition

Noun: A reanimated corpse; a dead body that has been brought back to a state of animation, typically by supernatural means. Such entities are often depicted as mindless, driven by base instincts, and posing a threat to the living.

Usage

The term "living dead" is used to refer to the concept or category of beings that are physically deceased but mobile and active. It functions as a collective noun. * The film is about a scientist who accidentally creates the living dead. * In many stories, the living dead are vulnerable to fire or destruction of the brain.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used metaphorically to describe people who are emotionally numb, exhausted, or moving without purpose.
  • After working 80 hours this week, I feel like one of the living dead.

Variants and Related Words

• Zombie (n.): The most common synonym; a person whose mind and will are controlled by someone else, or specifically, a reanimated corpse.
• Undead (adj., n.): A broader category often including vampires, ghosts, and zombies; not alive but not fully at rest.
• Revenant (n.): A more literary term for someone who has returned, especially from the dead.

Synonyms

• Zombie
• Walking dead
• Undead (as a collective noun)

Related Idioms & Phrases

• (A) member of the living dead: Used to specify an individual entity from this group.
  • He stumbled through the graveyard like a member of the living dead.

Noun

1. a dead body that has been brought back to life by a supernatural force