vampire

noun

vam·​pire ˈvam-ˌpī(-ə)r How to pronounce vampire (audio)
1
: the reanimated body of a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of persons asleep
2
a
: one who lives by preying on others
b
: a woman who exploits and ruins her lover
3
vampiric adjective
vampirish adjective

Examples of vampire in a Sentence

regarded debt collectors as vampires who made a living from the misery of others
Recent Examples on the Web Sidekick to: Buffy Summers The once-mousy No. 2 behind Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar)'s superhero, Willow (a nerd-cool pioneer) tempers the vampire slayer's quip-spouting, melodramatic ways with patience, reason, and a readiness to roam the nether regions of the demon world. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Contrary to its fearsome name, the vampire squid passively feeds on marine snow – drifting organic particles – using two long, sticky filaments. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Read Next Deep-sea vampire squid suffocated 183 million years ago while hunting. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Depicting the religious perspective in the narrative is Carmencita (Paula Luchsinger), a nun sent to perform an exorcism who instead is seduced by Pinochet and wants to become a vampire herself. Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 What results is a palette that’s at once gloomy and glossy, evoking the early vampire classics Lachman studied in preparation — German expressionist exemplars like 1922’s Nosferatu and 1932’s Vampyr, as well as Universal Pictures’ original Dracula from 1931. Matthew Jacobs, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 While each episode focuses on something different, from deadly parasites to telekinesis, vampires and more, the real strength of the show comes from the relationship between the two leads, skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and believer Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Jones becomes a vampire, but his cohort’s wife (a fabulous Marlene Clark) comes looking for her husband, only to be seduced and then turned into a vampire by her new lover. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 14 Feb. 2024 The job goes awry for everyone when the girl reveals herself as a vampire and gleefully murders her captors one by one. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vampire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, borrowed from German Vampir, borrowed from Serbian vampir

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vampire was in 1732

Dictionary Entries Near vampire

Cite this Entry

“Vampire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vampire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vampire

noun
vam·​pire ˈvam-ˌpī(ə)r How to pronounce vampire (audio)
1
: the body of a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of sleeping persons
2

Medical Definition

vampire

noun
vam·​pire ˈvam-ˌpī(ə)r How to pronounce vampire (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on vampire

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