vampire

American  

[vam-pahy^uhr] / ˈvæm paɪər /

noun

1. a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.

2. (in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned.

3. a person who preys ruthlessly upon others; extortionist.

4. a woman who unscrupulously exploits, ruins, or degrades the men she seduces.

5. an actress noted for her roles as an unscrupulous seductress.

   the vampires of the silent movies.

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vampire British  

/ ˈvæmpaɪə, væmˈpɪrɪk /

noun

1. (in European folklore) a corpse that rises nightly from its grave to drink the blood of the living

2. See vampire bat

3. a person who preys mercilessly upon others, such as a blackmailer

4. See vamp 1

5. theatre a trapdoor on a stage

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Other Word Forms

• vampiric adjective
• vampirish adjective

Etymology

Origin of vampire

First recorded in 1725–35; from French or directly from German Vampir, from Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr, alteration of earlier upir (by confusion with doublets such as vȁzdūh, ȕzdūh “air” (from Slavic vŭ- ), and with intrusive nasal, as in dùbrava, dumbrȁva “grove”); akin to Czech upír, Polish upiór, Old Russian upyrĭ, upirĭ ( Russian upýrʾ ), from unattested Slavic u-pirĭ or ǫ-pirĭ, probably a compound noun formed with unattested root per- “fly, rush” (literal meaning variously interpreted)

Explanation

Although traditionally used to refer to the bloodsucking undead, you can use the noun vampire to describe someone who heartlessly preys on others — a blackmailer, or anyone else who just sucks the life out of you. Vampire first appeared as a word in English in the early 1700’s, but folklore surrounding undead creatures that feed off of human blood has been around since the earliest times. Among many supposed abilities, vampires are sometimes believed to be able to take the form of a bat. The word vampire is also used to refer to non-mythical “vampire bats” which are native to the Americas and really do feed on blood.

Example Sentences

He picked up Christopher Lee at the airport once, and — as a big fan of Dracula — he half-believed he saw the English actor transforming into a vampire while they drove to the club.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

During the coronavirus pandemic, she rewatched all of the "Twilight" vampire romance films, which were released from 2008 to 2012, and Bollywood flicks from the 1990s.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

David Boreanaz, Buffy’s vampire love interest Angel, praised Brendon’s authenticity and spirit, emphasizing the depth of their personal friendship beyond the show.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Political thriller One Battle After Another is the favourite to win best picture, but it faces tough competition from vampire horror Sinners, which has a record-breaking 16 nominations.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

The next sound I heard was even worse than if the vampire had said, “Aha, you doggone kid, that hurt, but now I get my revenge!”

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Related Words

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