noun

revenant

REH-vuh-nuhnt

noun

A spirit or reanimated corpse said to return from the dead, as in folklore or horror fiction.

"The film follows a revenant seeking vengeance on those who left him for dead."

"Local legend told of a revenant that stalked the old churchyard."

Someone who reappears after a long absence.

"He arrived at the reunion like a revenant, unrecognisable after twenty years abroad."

How to Use Revenant

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething (usually a dead person, in folklore) that comes back.

Memory tip

You'll mostly meet this word in horror or fantasy writing.

Trace the full origin ↓

more revenant comparative, revenants plural, most revenant superlative

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The film follows a _____ seeking vengeance on those who left him for dead.

Borrowed in the 19th century from French revenant, "coming back", from revenir, "to return" — the same root that gives us "revenue".

tenant covenant lieutenant