After her son was killed on the frontline, she was a dead woman walking. She had no hope for the future.

[alpacinou]

Can "dead man/woman walking" be described to use a person who's dead inside? Are these correct and natural?

1. After her son was killed on the frontline, she was a dead woman walking. She had no hope for the future.
2. After Claire left him, John was a dead man walking. He lost the zest for life and quite his job.
3. Two of my children were killed by the thugs who worked for the government. I have nothing to lose. I'm just a dead woman walking, a ghost.

 

[emsr2d2]

@alpacinou You've been here long enough to know that your question should appear only in the main body of your post. Your title should be as much of the sentence you're asking us to look at as possible. I've sorted it out for you this time.
By the way, there's a typo in sentence 2.

 

[alpacinou]

@alpacinou You've been here long enough to know that your question should appear only in the main body of your post. Your title should be as much of the sentence you're asking us to look at as possible. I've sorted it out for you this time.
By the way, there's a typo in sentence 2.

Sorry to post them again but for future reference I always look at the last post.


I have deleted your sentences. Other members don't want to come in to the thread to see what is effectively a duplicate post. emsr2dt wrote to you yesterday: That just takes up space in a thread. Please post only what's absolutely necessary. 5jj

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry to post them again but for future reference I always look at the last post.

Well, you shouldn't do it like that. Take notes as you go. Each time you work out (or are given) a correct, natural sentence, make a note of it somewhere else. This forum isn't your personal notebook. If you need a record of the final list of correct sentences, start a Word document on your computer and type them out there, then save them somewhere.
If 5jj hadn't deleted the rest of your post, I would have.

 

[Skrej]

Can "dead man/woman walking" be described to use a person who's dead inside? Are these correct and natural?

No, not unless the people are about to actually die.

Typically the phrase refers to an inmate being led to their execution. I did find one (and only one) dictionary entry that suggests it can be used informally to refer to someone who's about to lose their job. That was a new extension of the term to me. I have seen/heard it used for people other than inmates whose death is imminent, say for health reasons, or someone who's marked for death by an enemy.

I think you're looking for something to suggest they're zombie-like. Dead man walking won't work however, because of the primary connotation it already carries.

After being exposed to over a hundred rads when he handled the uranium unprotected, John was a dead man walking.
Once Mark turned state witness and testified against his mob boss, he became a dead man walking.

However, you can't use it to describe someone who is simply listless or indifferent to life.

 

[alpacinou]

No, not unless the people are about to actually die.

What can I use instead of "dead man/woman walking" in sentences in post 1?

 

[emsr2d2]

... is like a zombie
... has lost the will to live
... is just going through the motions of living
... it takes every ounce of effort to simply keep breathing every day.

 

[Skrej]

You sometimes see the term 'automaton' used for such situations.

 

[tedmc]

How about "living dead"?

 

[Glizdka]

You could say she became hollow inside, a lifeless husk, an empty shell of her former self.

 

[Skrej]

How about "living dead"?

That's another synonym for zombies. I'd avoid it for the same reasons in this context.