Vampire: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in general discussions about folklore or fictional stories about beings that drink blood. Often appears in Gothic literature, horror movies, and supernatural contexts.

• Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is a classic novel about a vampire.
• The vampire emerged from the shadows, his fangs glistening.

Carries a more negative connotation and is often used metaphorically to describe someone who takes advantage of others or drains their resources. In a literal sense, it refers to an organism that feeds on blood.

• He's such a bloodsucker, always borrowing money and never paying it back.
• Leeches are common bloodsuckers found in swamps.

Refers to beings that are dead but have been reanimated. This term is broader than 'vampire' and includes zombies, mummies, and other reanimated beings in horror fiction.

• The army of the undead approached the fortress, their eyes glowing eerily.
• As an undead, he wandered the earth, neither fully alive nor completely dead.

Typically used to describe mythical or supernatural beings that are active at night. It is more poetic and can refer to various night-dwelling creatures, not just vampires.

• The werewolf, like many creatures of the night, roams the streets under the full moon.
• She felt like a creature of the night, coming alive only when the sun set.