vampire

noun vam·pire \ ˈvam-ˌpī(-ə)r \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: vampire in a Sentence

Definition of vampire

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 : vampire bat

—

vampiric

play \vam-ˈpir-ik\ adjective

—

vampirish

play \ˈvam-ˌpī(-ə)r-ish\ adjective

See vampire defined for English-language learners

See vampire defined for kids

Examples of vampire in a Sentence

regarded debt collectors as vampires who made a living from the misery of others

Recent Examples of vampire from the Web

The actor played the famous vampire in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in the early 1990’s and represented a unique look for the mythical character.

— molly glentzer, Houston Chronicle, "Art Daybook: ‘Atlas’ holds up time," 6 June 2018
A few days after this column appears, the choir of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will embark upon a pilgrimage to Transylvania (no vampires), a very early stronghold of Unitarianism.

— elizabeth greene, idahostatesman, "'Faith is the gift of God': A pilgrimage will leave us all changed," 31 May 2018
What did a Hollywood vampire look like and what does that mean?’ There was a bit of shine.

— ingrid schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, "How Hollywood, Axl Rose & ’The Lost Boys’ Inspire CFDA Fashion Awards Nominee Mike Amiri," 31 May 2018
But the main objects of our affection were vampires.

— meredith goldstein, The Cut, "The Vampire Movie Obsession That Made Me Reconsider How I Felt About Porn," 16 Apr. 2018
There's something about this time of the year that makes people crave pruning more than vampires yearn for blood.

— leah zerbe, Good Housekeeping, "Why You Should Stop Pruning Your Trees In The Fall," 15 Sep. 2017
And so a fan favorite was … not born exactly, because vampires are sired.

— andrew dansby, Houston Chronicle, "‘Buffy’ vampire James Marsters comes out in the daylight for Comicpalooza," 23 May 2018
However, since most of us aren’t vampires living in areas of the world confined to total darkness, let’s talk sunscreen.

— yvette d'entremont, SELF, "How Much Do You Really Have to Worry About Trying to Prevent Cancer?," 16 May 2018
Lonely vampires that stalk the streets looking to enact justice through their victim choices.

— refinery29.com, "17 Movies Every Woman Should See At Least Once," 8 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vampire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vampire

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1732

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

vampire Synonyms

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

VAMPIRE Defined for English Language Learners

vampire

noun

Definition of vampire for English Language Learners

in stories : a dead person who leaves the grave at night to bite and suck the blood of living people

VAMPIRE Defined for Kids

vampire

noun vam·pire \ ˈvam-ˌpīr \

Definition of vampire for Students

: the body of a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of sleeping people

Medical Dictionary

vampire

noun vam·pire \ ˈvam-ˌpī(ə)r \

medical Definition of vampire

: vampire bat

Learn More about vampire

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vampire Spanish Central: Translation of vampire Nglish: Translation of vampire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vampire for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vampire

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vampire

Definition of vampire

vampiric

vampirish

Examples of vampire in a Sentence

Recent Examples of vampire from the Web

Origin and Etymology of vampire

vampire Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

VAMPIRE Defined for English Language Learners

vampire

Definition of vampire for English Language Learners

VAMPIRE Defined for Kids

vampire

Definition of vampire for Students

Medical Dictionary

vampire

medical Definition of vampire

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