Zombies may be creatures of horror stories, but their slow shuffle, blank stares, and endless hunger have made their way into everyday language.
In English, people often use zombie-like imagery to describe exhaustion, monotony, or going through life without energy.
These idioms don’t just belong in scary movies—they also capture the way we sometimes feel when we are drained, overworked, or stuck in routines.
Idioms & Expressions Related to Zombies
1. Walking Dead
Meaning: Someone who looks lifeless, drained, or barely functioning.
After working a 14-hour shift, I felt like the walking dead.
The students were like the walking dead after pulling an all-nighter.
2. Living Dead
Meaning: A person going through life without energy or purpose.
He was stuck in a boring routine, living like the living dead.
Without coffee, I’m basically part of the living dead.
3. Mindless Drone
Meaning: Someone acting mechanically without thought, like a zombie.
The boss treats us like mindless drones.
Scrolling through social media made me feel like a mindless drone.
4. Going Through the Motions
Meaning: Doing something without interest, energy, or real engagement.
He’s just going through the motions at work, like a zombie.
After weeks of stress, I felt like I was only going through the motions.
5. Brain Fog
Meaning: A state of mental sluggishness, similar to zombie-like thinking.
I had such bad brain fog this morning, I couldn’t even think straight.
After the long meeting, everyone was in a brain fog.
6. Burned Out Shell
Meaning: A person so exhausted they resemble a hollow shell.
She’s just a burned-out shell after months of overtime.
I felt like a burned-out shell, dragging myself around like a zombie.
7. Sleepwalking Through Life
Meaning: Living passively or without awareness, like a zombie.
He was sleepwalking through life, never chasing his dreams.
Don’t just sleepwalk through life—make it meaningful.
8. Dead on Your Feet
Meaning: Extremely tired, barely able to function.
I was dead on my feet after the long day.
She came home dead on her feet but still cooked dinner.
9. Like a Corpse
Meaning: So still, pale, or lifeless that you resemble a dead body.
He lay on the couch like a corpse after the marathon.
She looked like a corpse from pulling an all-nighter.
10. Soulless Existence
Meaning: A dull, passionless way of living, like a zombie’s life.
The job gave him a soulless existence.
Without creativity, life feels like a soulless existence.
11. Rise from the Grave
Meaning: To recover from exhaustion or appear suddenly after being gone.
He rose from the grave after a three-hour nap.
She finally rose from the grave after a week of flu.
12. Brain-Eating Mode (modern/slang)
Meaning: Acting without thought, consuming information or things mindlessly.
I was in brain-eating mode, binge-watching shows all night.
Finals week puts students in brain-eating mode.
