death warmed over

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

death warmed over

  1. A state of being extremely ill or injured.
    • 2005, Colleen Heffernan, A Kind of Courage, →ISBN, page 75:
      The first time the medical officer looked at me, he said I was D, for death warmed over.
    • 2007, Robert M. Sapolsky, A Primate's Memoir, →ISBN:
      I am the reign of terror, the ten plagues, I am a case of the clap, I am the thing that goes bump in the night, De Shadow, death warmed over.
    • 2007, Sister Carol Anne O'Marie, Murder at the Monks' Table, →ISBN:
      She studied Mary Helen's face. “Oh, my!” she said. “You're the color of death warmed over.
    • 2012, Franklin Trainer, Provoked, →ISBN, page 2:
      There are those who seek to live apart from HIM; but that end is the epitome of 'death warmed over'.
    • 2013, Harry Turtledove, Cayos in the Stream, →ISBN:
      They give you the hair of the dog that bit you. It was one big, mean dog. The hair warms you up to death warmed over.

Usage notes[edit]

Usually used as part of the phrase like death warmed over.