Zombie Meaning
/ˈzɒmbi/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person, usually undead, animated by unnatural forces (such as magic), with no soul or will of his or her own.
nounA person, usually undead, animated by unnatural forces (such as magic), with no soul or will of his or her own, typically being slow, obedient, and harmless unless directed to be harmful.
Sentence Examples
After my husband's death I walked around like a zombie.
The zombie apocalypse is nigh!
The children dressed up as a scary zombie for the Halloween party.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the horror movie, a ____ slowly walked toward the living humans with its arms outstretched.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie tells a story about a world where several many ____ have taken over the city after a mysterious plague today.
Word Origin & History
First attested in the 18th century. Partially through Louisiana Creole zombi (“zombie; ghost”), Haitian Creole zonbi (“zombie”), and French zombi (“zombie”). Ultimately from a Bantu language. Compare Kongo nzambi (“god”), zumbi (“fetish”), and Kimbundu nzumbi (“ghost”) (see Portuguese zumbi, Sranan Tongo dyumbi), and Caribbean folklore's jumbie (“a spirit or demon”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Betsy Connell: I don't know about zombies, doctor. Just what is a zombie? / Dr. Maxwell: A ghost. A living dead. It's also a drink."
— 1943, Curt Siodmak, Ardel Wray, I Walked with a Zombie (motion picture):
"The rumour had started that he was the Zombie or living corpse of Baron Samedi himself, the dreaded Prince of Darkness, and he fostered the story so that now it was accepted through all the lower strata of the negro world."
— 1954, Ian Fleming, “A Visiting-Card”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 21:
"The zombies were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included Wolf-Man, Dracula, and his son."
— 1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:
"Ashley: Dad passed on a few years back. He's probably still watching, though.
Shepard: He's not a zombie, is he?"
— 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: SSV Normandy:
"The zombies first show up 20 minutes in, after Melanie volunteers herself as the next child to mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night. That’s when we learn that Melanie and her classmates are all “hungries,” or people infected with a toxic fungus that turns them into mindless flesh-eating animals."
— 2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The Onion AV Club:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the horror movie, a ____ slowly walked toward the living humans with its arms outstretched.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie tells a story about a world where several many ____ have taken over the city after a mysterious plague today.