zombie

noun zom·bie \ ˈzäm-bē \

variants: or less commonly zombi

Updated on: 13 Oct 2017

Definition of zombie

1 a :a will-less and speechless human (as in voodoo belief and in fictional stories) held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated

b :the supernatural power that according to voodoo belief may enter into and reanimate a dead body

2 a :a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead; especially :automaton

b :a person markedly strange in appearance or behavior

3 :a mixed drink made of several kinds of rum, liqueur, and fruit juice

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zombielike

or zombie-like play \ˈzäm-bē-ˌlīk\ adjective

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

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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.

Recent Examples of zombie from the Web

Tuesday-Wednesday All Hallows Eve auditions: Naper Settlement will be holding auditions for actors and actresses to play monsters, zombies, witches and more for its All Hallows Eve festivities in October.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "This Week in Naperville," 29 Aug. 2017
A live zombie slaying at your big meeting is way impactful than any PowerPoint.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Night of the living plot explosions: 5 thoughts on the stunning season finale of 'Game of Thrones'," 28 Aug. 2017
In reality, his screeching zombie is inside, but isn’t making a sound.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Finale Recap: A Major Death, That Jon and Daenerys Thing Happened, and So Much More," 28 Aug. 2017
New this year is the inclusion of the zombie paint ball experience with the price of the regular corn maze.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Pumpkins, football and FitOne…yep, September is just around the corner," 25 Aug. 2017
A quarter century ago, when David Duke (who was, like a political zombie, present among the white rioters of Charlottesville) was on the very brink of being elected governor of Louisiana, he wasn’t brought down by his past as a Ku Klux Klan leader.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Anti-Anti-Racism Appeals to His Base’s White Racial Grievance," 25 Aug. 2017
Besemann's Zombie Walk is being held Saturday on Bardstown Road in the Highlands, where as many as 40,000 people dressed as zombies are expected.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "Battle over two Louisville zombie events may be getting bloodier as lawsuit pends in court," 24 Aug. 2017
Then there’s several minutes of hitting zombies with things.

— bennett madison, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones Episode 706 Recap: Dragons, Fly!," 21 Aug. 2017
And of course, the terms and conditions are filled with disclaimers and limitations that would seem to erect almost zombie proof barriers to liability.

— jack greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Are you a YouTuber? This zombie suit may affect you," 27 July 2017

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

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

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.