zombie

American  

[zom-bee] / ˈzɒm bi /

Rarely zombi

noun

• zombies
  plural

1. (in Vodou)

   1. a mute and will-less body, robbed of its soul and given the semblance of life by a supernatural force, usually for manual labor or some evil purpose.

   2. the supernatural force itself.

2. (in popular culture) an undead creature with a reanimated human body, typically depicted in science fiction or horror stories as contagious to the living by bite and vulnerable only to serious head trauma.

   In the movie, survivors of the apocalypse try to build a barricade to keep the zombies out.

3. Informal.

   1. a person whose behavior or responses are wooden, listless, or seemingly rote; automaton.

   2. an eccentric or peculiar person.

4. a snake god worshiped in West Indian and Brazilian religious practices of African origin.

5. a tall drink made typically with several kinds of rum, citrus juice, and often apricot liqueur.

6. Canadian Slang. an army conscript assigned to home defense during World War II.

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adjective

1. of or relating to something that was declared concluded, finished, or dead, but surprisingly continues to linger, or comes back in a different version: resuscitating zombie corporations through debt restructuring;

   zombie legislation that was defeated last session;

   resuscitating zombie corporations through debt restructuring;

   a zombie ex who texts you out of the blue looking for a hookup.

zombie British  

/ ˈzɒmbɪ /

noun

1. a person who is or appears to be lifeless, apathetic, or totally lacking in independent judgment; automaton

2. a supernatural spirit that reanimates a dead body

3. a corpse brought to life in this manner

4. the snake god of voodoo cults in the West Indies, esp Haiti, and in scattered areas of the southern US

5. the python god revered in parts of West Africa

6. a piece of computer code that instructs an infected computer to send a virus on to other computer systems

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• zombiism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• zombies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of zombie

First recorded in 1810–20; from Louisiana French, Haitian Creole zonbi, from a Bantu language, e.g., Kongo nzambi “god,” zumbi “fetish,” or Kimbundu nzambi “god”

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Explanation

If you've ever watched a zombie movie, you know that a zombie is a terrifying but slow-moving monster, a dead body that moves as if it's alive and has a taste for human flesh. There is an entire literary genre that features zombies and the people who are hunting or fighting them off, as well as scores of films about zombies. A zombie is an ideal movie monster, horrible to look at and nearly impossible to kill. The word zombie comes from West Africa, related to both the Kikongo word zumbi, or "fetish," and the Kimbundu word nzambi, or "god."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zombie zombies

That’s not wrong; Romero’s 1968 benchmark established the modern cinematic zombie as a stand-in for mindless capitalist consumption.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

It is not, strictly speaking, the first zombie movie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

By revealing how zombie cells differ, why they promote inflammation and which processes might be targeted, the research offers a more detailed roadmap for future treatments designed to support healthier aging.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026

The post-apocalyptic zombie experience 'Salvation-Z' is run by Gloucester Prison Events at the defunct prison and employs around 30 actors from the local area, according to actor manager Clive Barzillia.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

MOP: You look like a zombie trying to eat its own neck.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

"Valor Mortis" by the Polish studio One More Level shows Napoleon's 19th century army fuelled by a mysterious substance that makes them stronger before turning them into zombies and half-animal creatures.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Setup: The analog characters freak out—“We’re all just landfill now!”—when kids turn into little zombies staring at glowing screens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

His campaign underscored his attacks against Becerra by having a handful of supporters dressed as zombies speak outside of Becerra’s Sunday evening rally in Long Beach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

The phrase was used to help describe the game's tense atmosphere, born from its fixed camera angles, forever encroaching zombies and a limited supply of ammunition to shoot them with.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

I often find myself surrounded by soulless zombies.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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Related Words

• demon
• devil
• phantom
• shadow
• soul
• specter
• vampire
• vision

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