zombie

noun zom·bie \ ˈzäm-bē \

variants: or less commonly zombi

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

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

The exact specifics of her death are unknown, as Madison is last seen cornered by zombies, gun in hand, launching a flare into the middle of the baseball field and standing tall as a fiery glow reflects upon her person.

— josh wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Fear the Walking Dead' Star Confirms "Dangerous" and "Ferocious" Kim Dickens Twist," 10 June 2018
On Halloween, model Anja Rubik, dressed as a zombie, approached Porter editor in chief Lucy Yeomans about working with the nonprofit Parley for the Oceans.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Anja Rubik and Lucy Yeomans Make Conservation Chic With Porter’s Incredible Oceans Gala," 8 June 2018
In the dark, lit only by street lamps, automobile headlights and neon signs, these individuals coming forward look like zombies.

— benjamin oreskes, www.latimes.com, "Many people work hard to avoid the homeless. These volunteers embrace them," 7 June 2018
Hurricanes, zombies, Louisiana iced teas, craft beer and wines are all available for purchase.

— paige fumo fox, Daily Southtown, "Get ready to 'grip, twist, peel and slurp' during Maple Tree Inn's 18th annual Crawfish Fest," 17 May 2018
Viserion could be a mythical ice dragon or merely a dragon zombie, but either way, his allegiance has likely shifted to the Night King's side.

— chanel vargas, Harper's BAZAAR, "Bran Stark and the Night King Might Share One Important Power, According to This Fan Theory," 25 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile dealers such as Kain don’t want anything to do with the zombie machines.

— kyle stock, Bloomberg.com, "The Sedan is Dying, So It’s Time to Buy One," 25 June 2018
As Reuters reported last month, investors are at last acknowledging the obvious: There are too many VC-bloated start-ups chasing too few clients, while unicorns are morphing into zombies struggling to find an IPO or other exit.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "The Sound of a Cyber Bubble Popping," 3 Feb. 2018
Death Cure dutifully picks up where Scorch Trials left off: A contagious virus is turning Earth’s population into rampaging zombies.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Maze Runner: Death Cure' is as much fun as it sounds," 25 Jan. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

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.