English · Word Candidate

vampire

/ˈvæm.paɪ.ə(ɹ)/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: vampires · vampiring · vampired

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A mythological creature (usually humanoid and undead) said to feed on the blood or life energy of the living.

Noun

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula built on centuries-old stories of vampires and also encouraged new growth of the mythology.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A person with habits traditionally ascribed to (literal) vampires, such as heliophobia, being a night owl, having pale skin, and so on.

NounRegister: colloquial, humorous

Near-synonyms: heliophobe, goth

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To drain of energy or resources.

Verb

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “vampire” mean?

A mythological creature (usually humanoid and undead) said to feed on the blood or life energy of the living.

Is “vampire” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.