Type: Idiomatic Expression / Metaphor
Origin: Urdu poetic and emotional imagery; زنده لاش means "living corpse."
Definition: Describes someone who is alive physically but devoid of spirit, energy, or joy, usually due to extreme grief, trauma, or hopelessness.
Expanded Features:
Polarity: Negative
Register: Literary, expressive, dramatic
Pragmatic Sense: Used to evoke deep sympathy, tragedy, or emotional devastation.
Key Nuances:
Strongly metaphorical, not literal.
Often used in novels, stories, or emotional conversations.
Can also describe someone bedridden, lifeless, or extremely weak.
Usage Contexts:
Literary or poetic descriptions.
Talking about grief, loss, or depression.
Expressing extreme hopelessness.
Example Sentences:
Urdu: بیوی کی موت کے بعد وہ ایک زندہ لاش تھا۔
English: After his wife’s death, he was a living corpse.
Urdu: غربت نے اسے زندہ لاش بنا دیا۔
English: Poverty turned him into a living corpse.
Urdu: وہ ہنستا تو تھا مگر اندر سے ایک زندہ لاش تھا۔
English: He did laugh, but inside he was a living corpse.
Cultural Insight:
This metaphor is a powerful part of Urdu literary expression. It symbolizes the emotional weight of despair, often found in poetry, novels, and dramas.
Synonyms (Urdu): بے جان جسم، پژمردہ انسان، مردہ دل
Synonyms (English): lifeless, soulless, spiritless
Antonyms (Urdu): زندہ دل، خوش و خرم، پرجوش
Antonyms (English): lively, spirited, joyful
Related Terms:
دل شکستہ (dil shikasta): broken-hearted
پژمردہ (pajmurda): withered, lifeless
افسردہ (afsurdah): depressed