undead
/ʌnˈdɛd/adjective, noun
undead is spelled U-N-D-E-A-D: 6 letters. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, undead means “Not dead; alive” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in undead?
| Letters | 6: U-N-D-E-A-D |
|---|---|
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,356th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is undead?
Undead appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce undead?
- /ʌnˈdɛd/
- /ˈʌndɛd/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-undead.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with undead
Also written: un-dead (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of undead
- un-dead
- undeads plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does undead mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
datedNot dead; alive.
- 2
Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life.
- 3
Being animate, though non-living.
noun
- 1
A creature that is undead; that is, dead but still animate.
- 2
Those who are undead.
In the zombie movie, an army of the undead accosted some unsuspecting teenagers.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate undead?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of undead: UD.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Undead in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mort-vivant |
| German | untot , Untoter, Untote |
| Portuguese | morto-vivo |
| Spanish | no muerto, zombi, muerto viviente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does undead come from?
From Middle English undede, equivalent to un- + dead. The first attestation is from around 1400. The term was revived, popularized, and imbued with supernatural connotations by its usage in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).