vampire

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   In stories and old beliefs, a dead person who leaves the grave at night to drink the blood of living people.

   Grammar: Countable: a vampire, two vampires; often used in fairy tales and horror films.

   Patterns

   • a vampire bat
   • vampire legend
   • turn into a vampire

   The novel tells the story of a vampire who lives for centuries.

   In the movie, a vampire bites a young woman and she becomes one too.

   Villagers once believed a vampire could be stopped with a wooden stake.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A person or thing that uses up other people's energy, money, or resources without giving anything back.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively, especially in phrases like 'energy vampire' or 'financial vampire'.

   Patterns

   • energy vampire
   • financial vampire
   • a vampire on the economy

   He called his old car a vampire because it drained his savings.

   Some people describe social media as an energy vampire that steals your time.

   The company was seen as a vampire, sucking profits from smaller businesses.

Word forms

Common combinations

vampire bat

Vampire bats feed on the blood of cattle and birds.

vampire movie

We watched a classic vampire movie last night.

energy vampire

My coworker is an energy vampire who complains all day.

vampire legend

The vampire legend has roots in Eastern European folklore.

Synonyms and how they differ

bloodsucker

A more informal and disapproving word for a creature or person that takes blood or money; vampire is the standard term for the mythical being.

leech

Literally a worm that sucks blood, or figuratively a person who takes advantage; less specific to the undead than vampire.

Word family

vampiric adjective

Relating to vampires or like a vampire.

vampirism noun

The condition or practice of being a vampire.

Commonly confused: vampire or vamp?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “vampire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words