emotional vampire

[ ih-moh-shuh-nl vam-pahyuhr ]

noun
  1. a person who is a depressing or debilitating presence in the lives of others because their typical behavior involves judging, criticizing, and manipulating others rather than honoring, affirming, or appreciating them.: Compare balcony person.

Origin of emotional vampire

1
First recorded in 1905–10
  • Also called so·cial vam·pire [soh-shuhl vam-pahyuhr], /ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈvæm paɪər/, base·ment per·son [beys-muhnt pur-suhn] /ˈbeɪs mənt ˌpɜr sən/ .

Words Nearby emotional vampire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023