ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vampire

n. · v.
US //ˈvæmpaɪɹ// UK //vˈæmpaɪə// vam·pire
  1. 1 mythical creature (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a legendary monster that stays alive by drinking the blood of living people.

    a mythological or folkloric being, typically undead, that subsists by feeding on the life essence or blood of the living.

    Example

    In the old stories, a vampire cannot enter your house unless you invite them in.

    Example

    Gothic literature often portrays the vampire as a sophisticated but cursed figure, trapped between the world of the living and the dead.
  2. 2 draining person (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    someone who uses up all your time, money, or emotional energy.

    a person who preys on others by depleting their emotional, financial, or physical resources.

    Example

    I had to stop hanging out with him because he was such an emotional vampire.

    Example

    The CEO was described as a corporate vampire, stripping the company of its assets before moving on to his next target.
  3. 3 animal (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a type of bat that feeds on the blood of other animals.

    any of various bats of the subfamily Desmodontinae that feed on the blood of birds and mammals.

    Example

    The vampire bat usually feeds on sleeping cattle during the night.

    Example

    Unlike the fruit-eating varieties, the vampire bat has evolved specialized heat sensors to locate blood vessels near the skin of its prey.
    • vampire bat
  4. 4 blood technician (n.)
    C2 Proficiency American English Slang Humorous Medicine

    a person whose job is to take blood from patients for medical tests.

    a slang term for a phlebotomist or medical technician specializing in the collection of blood samples.

    Example

    The vampire at the clinic was very quick and I didn't feel the needle at all.

    Example

    Hospital staff jokingly referred to the night-shift phlebotomist as the resident vampire due to his uncanny ability to find a vein in the dark.
    • phlebotomist
  5. 5 to drain (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to slowly take away someone's energy or money.

    to deplete or exhaust a person or organization of resources or vitality.

    Example

    The long legal battle started to vampire all of her savings.

    Example

    The constant demands of the project began to vampire the team's morale, leading to several resignations.
Origin

From French vampire, from German Vampir, via Hungarian from a Slavic word, probably Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr /ва̀мпӣр, from Proto-Slavic *ǫpyrь. Doublet of oupire.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Last updated June 19, 2026