zombie
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zombie
A fictional figure, usually a reanimated dead person who wanders around without a will of their own. Zombies are a common motif in horror films and stories.
In dem Film wird die Stadt von einer Horde Zombies überrannt.
In the film, the city is overrun by a horde of zombies.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. In horror films, it refers to the undead creature; in everyday language, it describes a very tired person; and in computer science, it refers to a special kind of process.
Der Held der Geschichte kämpft gegen einen Zombie.
The hero of the story fights against a zombie.
In the context of horror and fiction, 'Zombie' (zombie) is often used in fixed combinations, such as 'eine Horde Zombies' (a horde of zombies) or 'eine Zombie-Apokalypse' (a zombie apocalypse).
Viele B-Movies handeln von einer Zombie-Apokalypse.
Many B-movies are about a zombie apocalypse.
The colloquial meaning is often combined with verbs like 'sich fühlen' (to feel) or 'aussehen' (to look). It describes a state of extreme tiredness or apathy.
Am Montagmorgen sehen viele Leute im Büro wie Zombies aus.
On Monday mornings, many people in the office look like zombies.
The computer science meaning is purely technical language. Outside conversations about computers and operating systems, this term is not used and would be unintelligible.
Der Administrator schrieb ein Skript, um die Zombie-Prozesse automatisch zu beenden.
The administrator wrote a script to automatically terminate the zombie processes.
robot
'der Roboter' and 'der Zombie' are very different in their literal meanings: a 'Roboter' is a machine, while a 'Zombie' is a fictional figure from horror films. Figuratively, however, both words can describe a person who somehow does not seem normally alive. 'Roboter' then means someone who acts mechanically, without feeling, or without their own initiative. 'Zombie' more often means someone who seems extremely tired, apathetic, or unresponsive. That is why learners may confuse them when describing people. In short: a 'Roboter' seems controlled and mechanical, while a 'Zombie' seems exhausted and empty.
Nach der Nachtschicht sitzt die Kundin im Büro und sieht aus wie ein Zombie.
After the night shift, the customer sits in the office and looks like a zombie.
Bei der Arbeit antwortet Max nur noch kurz und wirkt fast wie ein Roboter.
At work, Max only gives short answers now and seems almost like a robot.