zombie

noun

zom·bie | \ ˈzäm-bē

variants: or less commonly zombi

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 reanimated

b : 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 : automaton

b : a person markedly strange in appearance or behavior

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

Other Words from zombie Example Sentences Learn More about zombie

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Other Words from zombie

zombielike 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 \ 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

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 on the Web

Honestly, zombies would kind of be a natural progression for Riverdale at this point. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "8 "Riverdale" Questions That Need to Be Answered in Season 4," 16 May 2019 The ice zombies quickly laid waste to the soldiers, including a few of our faves. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "Can the Night King Come Back to Life on 'Game of Thrones'?," 29 Apr. 2019 Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg An attendee is dragged for a photograph by an actor dressed as a zombie from the Capcom Co. — Bloomberg.com, "Bloomberg’s Week in Pictures," 14 June 2018 But Barrymore wanted to show the major life change her character, Sheila Hammond, is going through after becoming a zombie. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Drew Barrymore Says Fan Assumed She Was Pregnant: 'No, I'm Just Fat Right Now'," 22 Mar. 2018 Last seen raging against a ridiculous number of the Night King’s zombie wights, the series’ most steadfast character will presumably live to fight another day. — Courtney Shea, Harper's BAZAAR, "Brienne of Tarth Lives—And Gwendoline Christie Has Some Thoughts About that Love Triangle," 6 May 2019 But our children want healthy, thriving adults for parents — not zombies who can barely function. — Lindsey Benoit O’connell, Good Housekeeping, "I Hired a Baby Sleep Coach, But It Turns Out I Was The One Who Needed Training," 3 May 2019 The wasps give scientists the rare chance to study an actual zombie-making process. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How Wasps Turn Spiders Into Obedient Zombies," 30 Apr. 2019 Lyanna went out like a true hero and managed to kill the giant zombie wight that was slowly crushing her to death in a true David vs. Goliath moment. — Allie Gemmill, Teen Vogue, "Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island Was Only Supposed to Be in One Scene of "Game of Thrones"," 29 Apr. 2019

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.

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More Definitions for zombie

zombie

noun

Financial Definition of zombie

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

noun