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 The satire reimagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire (Jaime Vadell) who's tired of the bloodsucking and wants to end it all, though the people around him aren't ready to let go quite yet. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023 The woman and child do not qualify as vampires, said Martyn Rady, a historian at University College London. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 Buoyed by the inexhaustible vampire mythology (prominent among the quotations is a shot of a ship that hints at Murnau’s Nosferatu), Larraín and his screenwriter Guillermo Calderón greedily dive their hands among Pinochet’s crimes true to a central idea. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023 Witch Mansion, which is open from May through October, is another option complete with witches, ghosts, vampires, and more. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2023 Similarly, those who might have feared that a black comedy featuring Pinochet as a suicidal vampire would somehow humanize the dictator or lessen the gravity of his reign of terror, can consider those fears quelled by the uncompromising grisliness of both theme and form. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023 But not before the dashing young vampire had been awoken to his true nature. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023 Bud really works as a vampire hunter, and spends his days killing vampires to earn enough money to provide for his daughter. Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 30 Aug. 2023 Push sturdy metal cookie cutters into clean gourds — from bats and skeletons to ghosts and vampires. Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 25 Aug. 2023 See More

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 21 Sep. 2023.

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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