undead

American  

[uhn-ded] / ˌʌnˈdɛd /

adjective

1. no longer alive but animated by a supernatural force, as a vampire or zombie.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. undead beings collectively.

undead British  

/ ʌnˈdɛd /

adjective

1. 1. (of a fictional being, such as a vampire) technically dead but reanimated

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the undead

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Etymology

Origin of undead

First recorded in 1895–1900; un- ¹ ( def. ) + dead ( def. )

Example Sentences

Leigh Price, 51, from Builth Wells, said he was not prepping for hordes of the undead roaming the landscape, as many might assume, but for much more real threats.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Even more recent insights that other people are more dangerous than the flesh-eating undead are played out.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Fear of the undead is almost a human universal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

Yet commonalities remain: One remedy for vampirism, found on several continents, was to exhume the undead corpse and to drink what was left of its blood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

They had just started direct messaging a week ago, after Travis had come to her defense in a heated argument over whether The Accursed were undead humans or something else entirely. autumnlands: Hey what’s up?

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner