undead

alternative un-dead

1. datednot comparableNot dead; alive.
2. not comparablePertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life.
3. not comparablehorror fictionBeing animate, though non-living.

   When Anna and John finally break out of their self-centered bubbles to the shock that they must battle to the death an undead neighbor in a giant snowman costume, it plays like a poignant comment on movie teenagers' tendency to indulge their inner lives, ignorant of the world around them.

   2018 November 27, April Wolfe, “Anna And The Apocalypse is a Holiday-horror Cocktail of Singing, Maiming, and Clichés”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2019

plural undeads · alternative un-dead

1. countableuncountablehorror and fantasy fictionA creature that is undead; that is, dead but still animate.

   Innocent VIII lent credibility to the actual existence of undeads, an action that perpetuated, and even stimulated, vampire hysteria.

   1997, Carol Margaret Davison, Paul Simpson-Housley, Bram Stoker's Dracula: sucking through the century, 1897-1997

   1. countablepluralplural onlyuncountablewith definite articlehorror and fantasy fictionThose who are undead.

      In the zombie movie, an army of the undead accosted some unsuspecting teenagers.

      4 more examples

      "You will do me a service," the undead said to him.

      1983, Tanith Lee, The Wars of Vis

      "Were another of the Un-Dead, like him, to try to do what he has done, perhaps not all the centuries of the world that have been, or that will be, could aid him."

      1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, New York: Doubleday & McClure, published 1899, page xxiv. 319

      Harley got devoured by the undead / Lurking down in some old wizard's tomb / You can say there's no such thing as zombies / But that's how Harley Warren met his doom

      2006, The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, “Harley Got Devoured by the Undead”, in An Even Scarier Solstice

      It’s an episode of characters returning to their own pasts as different people. They can retrench like Cersei, back on her bullshit, I mean, warpath. Or they can adapt, like The Hound. Neither way necessarily ensures success, but we know the archmaester isn’t unequivocally right. We’ve seen dragons reborn and armies of the undead. I wouldn’t be so sure that Wall will stand forever.

      2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 20 Aug 2017