zombie

play

noun zom·bie \ˈzäm-bē\

variants: or less commonly

zombi

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of zombie

1a : a will-less and speechless human (as in voodoo belief and in fictional stories) held to have died and been supernaturally reanimatedb : the supernatural power that according to voodoo belief may enter into and reanimate a dead body
2a : a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead; especially : automatonb : a person markedly strange in appearance or behavior
3 : a mixed drink made of several kinds of rum, liqueur, and fruit juice

zombielike

play or

zombie–like

\ˈzäm-bē-ˌlīk\ adjective … a morning rush of zombielike office workers, all starved for caffeine and clamoring for cappuccino. — Bob Filipczak

zomboid

play \ˈzäm-ˌbȯid\ adjective This is a poetry eerily populated with ghosts and mummies and zomboid creatures who go on living though dead from love. — Patrick McGarth

See zombie defined for English-language learners

See zombie defined for kids

Examples of zombie in a Sentence

If I don't go to bed early I'll be a zombie tomorrow.
His students usually sat there in the classroom like zombies.

Origin and Etymology of zombie

Louisiana Creole or Haitian Creole zonbi, of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu nzúmbe ghost

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1871

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of ZOMBIE

zombie

noun

What It Is

A zombie is a company that continues to operate even though its liabilities exceed its assets (in other words, it has a net worth of zero).

How It Works

Let's say Bank XYZ has $1 billion in assets (loans it has made to customers) and $2 billion in liabilities (delinquent loans, interest payments due to customers, debt it may have borrowed, etc.). Bank XYZ could declare bankruptcy and default on its obligations at any time, but for now it is still alive.

Why It Matters

Zombies are very risky investments because they could die at any time. However, some zombies might receive sudden financing, such as government bailouts or other money, which could prompt a turnaround that might make shareholders suddenly wealthy.

Source: Investing Answers

ZOMBIE Defined for English Language Learners

zombie

play

noun

Definition of zombie for English Language Learners

: a person who moves very slowly and is not aware of what is happening especially because of being very tired
: a dead person who is able to move because of magic according to some religions and in stories, movies, etc.